Changes Continue
by jaimi-or-jaemi
Summary: Sunrise Café # 2. John makes some choices in his life and sets some new goals.
1. Unexpected Gift

**TAGS/WARNINGS** : Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega John, Alpha James, Alpha Greg, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, AU, Knotting, Anal Sex, Rimming, Anal Fingering, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Age Difference, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Fluff, Friendship, Friends to Lovers

Written for the Rare Pair Bingo-Word: Coffee Shop AU

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Thank you for any form of communication, I love it and it keeps me writing!

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John's POV  
He doesn't think much about the military alpha over the next few weeks because his life gets rather insanely busy. Tuesdays and Thursdays are still dedicated to classes, Wednesday is the craziest day between his meetings with the instructors throughout the day and is work in the afternoon. Plus he has now he has added working on Fridays and Saturdays as well. That means all of his spare time is taken up by him trying to get all of his home study done in roughly half the available time. The only advantage is that the sisters do not seem to mind him brining his homework with him in order to work on assignments during free moments.

The sisters traditionally close the café for the day before, of, and after Christmas in order to spend it together and go visit with whatever distant relatives they still wish to see. They had invited him along, only to have Greg tell them that he was unavailable. He can still remember the look of shock on the ladies faces when the alpha announced he was going to the Lestrade family Christmas. He had considered arguing about it, particularly since none of the Lestrades had actually asked him, but decided not to because of the warm feeling from the idea that someone wanted him around. Instead he had spent his last day off before Christmas shopping for everyone, wanting to get small gifts for each.

On the twenty-third the sisters closed the café early so that they could host a small Christmas party for all the employees. Most of his coworkers merely get Christmas cards from him because he is not close to the two betas, Mary and Elizabeth, that work the day shifts or the alpha, Jake, that works in the kitchen with the sisters. However for his bosses he has small gifts, partly for being two of his first friends after Greg and partly for being so supportive.

For Misty he had gotten a collection of cookie cutters, one-hundred different ones, some that are plastic, some that are metal, all of them are different size and shapes. She had thrown her arms around him in a quick hug, making him freeze up.

"Thank you," she murmurs in his ear.

Blushing, he nods, not saying anything.

She lets go of him, stepping back and beaming at him.

Still blushing, he hands the box he brought with him to Autumn, and appreciates the fact she does not feel the need to hug him like her sister.

After opening it up, she beams at him, stating, "Thank you John, that's a great gift, I always love sampler packs."

He had got her a box of Christmas themed coffees and teas, twenty different varieties of both, with three servings of each.

The sisters share a look before Misty hands him an envelope and continues to beam at him.

Opening the envelope, he is surprised to see a round trip plane ticket to New York City, two weeks reservations with a well known omega hotel, and a week's worth of classes at the American Barista & Coffee School. He had mentioned being interested in going last month but had not expected this. He couldn't accept this, it was worth way too much!

"I can't," he mumbles in shock trying to hand the envelope back, "it's too much."

"Nonsense dear," Misty replies with a small smile.

"Besides, it's already paid for, no refunds," Autumn states quite clearly as she goes through her new tea and coffee options.

"But it's too much!" he exclaims a bit louder than he had originally planned on and draws the other threes attention.

"I've already made arrangements with that determined omega who runs the houses and classes, she's all for you getting classes that could help you in the future." Misty responds in a no-nonsense sort of way. "I realize that they are not medical inclined but you had mentioned wanting to try them."

For a very long minute he stands there staring at the sisters before he finally tucks the envelope into his coat before whispering, "Thank you, really, thank you!"

The rest of the party is spent with him visiting with the others, eating cake and other baked goods, and trying the various homemade teas that Autumn had designed.

When he got back to the flat it was to pack a small bag, because apparently as soon as his dark-haired flatmate gets home they are heading to the farm for three days.

"We'll leave in the morning," the alpha remarks as he stumbles through the door, "I'm too damned tired to drive right now."

"I brought home a few sandwiches in case you're hungry," he offers the taller man.

Smiling tiredly at him, the alpha wanders into the kitchen to get some food before showering and heading to bed.

Actually that's a good idea, and he does the same, showering once the alpha is done and going to bed so that he can get up early in the morning.


	2. Christmas

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Thank you for any form of communication, I love it and it keeps me writing!

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John's POV  
The following morning both are up and about at a relatively early morning. Since he is more awake than his alpha flatmate, he makes breakfast, humming as he does so. In the months since he had moved in with the older male he had discovered that he loves cooking and had spent as much time as Greg had available learning how to cook. Of course it was mostly breakfast since that's when they were home together the most. Once he is done cooking, the pair of them eat their breakfast in companionable silence. Afterwards the two of them grab their bags and head to the car.

The ride to the farm is quiet, soft music playing in the background, leaving him lost in his own thoughts. Since being told he would never be able to enter the military because of his murmur he had been carefully thinking of what he wants t do with his life. Since discovering his love of cooking and working in the café, he had been toying with the idea of taking formal lessons, perhaps trying to save up the money to open his own little café eventually. He still wanted to be a doctor, but without being able to get into the military, the costs of the training were far too high for him to afford, so he was considering something he could accomplish easier.

When they pull up to the farm house, he smiles when he sees Vicki wave at him from the front porch.

"Thank you," the alpha murmurs as he turns the car off.

Confused, he tilts his head to the side and queries, "For what?"

"For not denying mum an extra person to mother, she adores you." The alpha replies with a smile, his scent sincere and grateful.

Shrugging, he blushes and nods, "I enjoy it, it's different than how my mum used to be." Sighing, he closes his eyes as he remembers, "Of course, had she tried to be that loving or had she stood up to him, she would have been beaten."

"Oh," the alpha mutters and he knows his friend really would like a chance to thrash the man who sired him.

Deciding it was time to change the subject, he queries, "If we get out of the car is there going to be food?"

Chuckling, the older male nods, "Yeah, mum's probably got all sorts of baked goods made."

"Let's go eat," he prompts, opening his door and sliding out, grabbing his duffle and backpack as he does so.

Chuckling even harder, the alpha shakes his head as he gets out of the car, grabbing the single pack he has. Quietly the two of them walk up to the small farm house, with him following the taller man through the door.

"John! I'm happy you came," Marge exclaims as she immerges from her kitchen, "Hello love," she murmurs as she kisses Greg on the cheek before running her nose against his collarbone and the scent gland in his neck.

He watches this in curiosity, realizing that every time Greg and any member of his family have greeted each other they have done that. Frowning slightly, he keeps thinking about it and realizes that the entire Lestrade family does that with each other. They scent each other in welcome, in farewell, any time that they feel like it, or whenever emotions run high. That's probably why he doesn't mind it when he scents him in distress. He's used to it because of his family. Early on the alpha had told him that scenting was done between close friends, family, lovers, and mates. They were not mates, but they were friends and during his heats, lovers.

For a moment he watches as Marge shifts from foot to foot, giving him a seeking look and it takes him a second to realize that she wants to scent him. To date, he had never allowed her to, except for that one time when he was sick because of the allergic reaction to his suppressants. Nodding, he scoots a little bit closer, lifting his head slightly, and tilting it to the side.

She beams at him before enveloping him in a hug, her nose gently rubbing at his scent gland before tilting her head slightly so he can return the action.

It feels both awkward and right, causing him to blush as he steps back.

"You'll be sharing a room with Greg, I hope that's alright, but my sister is here and she's in my guest room." The older omega tells him, her eyes searching his face for any sign of distress according to expression.

He nods once, "That's alright, we sometime fall sleep together in the living room just chatting."

Relief is easily seen on her face as she smiles at him, "Good, Greg can show you there in case you forgot from your previous short visit."

He nods and follows the alpha upstairs. The last time he was here they had only briefly stopped in the room. So now he takes the time to look around, noticing that it is a decent size room. There is a desk with a chair, a closet, dresser, and surprisingly good size bed. There shouldn't be any problem sharing that bed.

"I don't use the desk or bottom drawer if you want to put your stuff there," the alpha remarks as he sets his bag on the dresser. "The Christmas tree is all set up in the living room if you want to put your presents under it, I remember seeing presents in your duffle when you zipped it last night."

Nodding, he does just that, putting his clothing in the bottom drawer once the alpha moves. Chuckling, about the tree and presents comment, he smiles and nods, "That's good."

Once the two of them have put their stuff up for their three days, and grab their gifts, the taller man leads him downstairs to the living room. At the door he stares at the well decorated room, surprised to see something so festive in the house of an alpha. There is a large, dark green pine tree with fairy lights, a vast collection of ornaments, fluffy silver garland, and pictures of each family member in small hand-made frames. Under the tree is a multitude of gifts wrapped in a wide variety of type of paper. Hanging from the walls are even more Christmas decorations.

Smiling, he walks over and settles his gifts under the tree, placing them off to the side and back so that the other gifts are seen first since he thinks they are better wrapped. He is slightly self-aware of the fact his are all small presents but he is sure the Lestrades will not care, they will appreciate the gesture. Not long after he puts his gifts under the tree the youngest omega female in the family, Vicki, announces lunch, so he goes to eat with the others. For most of the lunch he is quiet, preferring to listen to the others as they speak. The eldest omega's sister is a very chattery but it's not her words that makes him nervous, instead it is her scent makes him, and he makes a point to stay close to his flatmate, the slightly older male's scent reassuring among all of these unfamiliar and only vaguely familiar people.

After lunch the three family alphas suggest showing him around the farm, which he quickly agrees to, still sticking close to the youngest alpha. While they are in the barn looking at the animals Greg's alpha father, Charles, explains that a lot of omegas have issues with Melody, the eldest omega's sister, due to an odd genetic disorder she smells like an alpha and a beta but in all the wrong ways.

Feeling better about why he wants to avoid her, he decides to see if the eldest omega needs any help in the kitchen. He also wants to talk to her about the odd alpha he had scented at the café, his odd reaction of wanting to kneel at the alphas feet. He's rather thankful that she's the only one in the kitchen.

"Marge?" he softly questions from the door, shifting from foot to foot.

Turning to face him, the oldest omega smiles happily as she replies, "Yes my dear?"

"I, ummm, wanted to ask you about something," he responds nervously, still shifting in place, listening for the others.

The rest of her attention shifts to him as she sets what she's doing aside, "Is something wrong John?" her voice is soft and reassuring, and he realizes that she is intentionally trying to calm him through scent.

He shrugs a bit helplessly, stepping into the kitchen the rest of the way and allowing the swinging door to close behind him. "I don't know," he mutters while blushing, "Have you ever felt the overwhelming need to drop to your knees in front of an alpha you just met?"

She beams at him, happily clapping her hands together, "Of course dear! It's a perfectly natural part of our biology and a good sign."

"Why?" he questions, hoping for a bit more information.

"It means that you met an alpha that you could be a match with. Did they smell right to you?" She answers happily, "It's a blessing meeting the right alpha while you're so young. It will give you time to get to know them."

Shocked, he just stares at her for a bit as he remembers the blonde alpha's scent. It had been wonderful and he had wanted to just rub himself against the taller man. Felt the urge to present his neck and the bonding gland. Was that smelling right?

"I didn't ask his name," he mumbles, embarrassed that he had possibly missed a chance with an alpha that's right for him because he had been too embarrassed to say much to him.

Nodding, she smiles lightly, commenting, "That's alright, if he really is the right alpha for you, he will come back to meet you properly because you would have smelled right to him too."

"Oh," he mumbles as he stares at her. "Why did I want to kneel before him?"

"Well dear, it is your body wanting to present itself, to show your submission to the alpha. It shows good control if you are able to not, shows you have spine, and that you wish to meet your alpha as an equal not a submissive." She frowns for a minute, "Sadly, there are those who will not deal with an omega as an equal. I actually met two alphas my body said were right for me. Only the first was very wrong for me. He thought I should grovel and be submissive with no desires or dreams of my own, desiring only to please him." Sighing, she shakes her head, "That was a very short courtship before I told him no. It ended up taking my father-sire dealing with him to get the point."

"Oh," he responds, so he could possibly have more than one? "What happens if you meet a match after you have already taken a mate?"

"Once bonded, as long as your mate lives, you'll not notice any other scents in the same way." Pausing, she cocks her head to the side and queries, "Would you like to help me with dinner?"

He nods, and scoots even closer so he can help. From there their conversation alternates between discussing their omega biology and what is being cooked. Once everything is in the oven or on the stove, she decides to ask what details he did notice about his possible alpha. Shyly he tells her about what he remembers, the fact he was blonde, seemed calm, and had remarkable stormy eyes. When the clock goes off to tell them dinner is nearly done she sends him to fetch the others. The rest of the evening is spent thinking about their conversation and listening to the others.

He ends up going to bed a bit early just to get away from all the scents in the room, he uses the shower before he goes in the room in order to get the scents off first. When Greg comes in to sleep, he is startled to discover that the older man took a shower first. Happy that the scents are not following him in here, he curls up with the taller man and drifts off to sleep, comforted by the familiar scent of his flatmate.

Come morning Nikki seems determined to wake the entire household in a way that only small child could.

Groaning, he tucks his against the alphas chest and mumbles, "It's a day off. Can't we sleep in?"

A low chuckle rumbles from the alpha he is laying partly on, "Its Christmas, don't you remember getting up early to celebrate?"

For a long while he is quiet, trying to think of any Christmases like that, the only ones he can remember being nice were the ones spent with his Watson grandparents. "Not really. Christmas was spent mostly in our room and out of William's way since he liked to use it as an excuse to get extra drunk if we were not going to see my grandparents or when we got back from my grandparents."

The alpha hugs him loosely, nuzzling the top of his head gently, "Well this Christmas will hopefully be better. If it ever gets overwhelming feel free to come up here and if anyone hassles you feel free to hiss at them."

He nods against the taller man's chest before sitting up slowly. For a minute he considers changing but feels a bit too self aware to do so. Instead he merely changes his tee-shirt and pulls on a jumper.

Greg stretches before getting up and pulling on a robe, "Time for hot chocolate and presents."

Blinking, he follows the taller man downstairs, startled to see almost everyone except his friend's creepy aunt sitting on the floor around the tree. There is also a large trash bag by Charles and Marge was holding a camera excitedly in her hands.

Hesitantly he sits down by the oldest omega, feeling relieved when this friend sits down beside him. The next several minutes seem chaotic as the oldest alpha in the room hands out the presents. The vast majority of them go to Nikki, the little boy squealing in delight with each gift set in front of him. He is surprised by the moderately large sized pile that appears in front of him, particularly when he realizes that only Nikki's pile is bigger.

"Greg," he whispers, trying not to draw the attention of the others in the room.

"Yeah?" the alpha responds before sipping at his hot chocolate.

"Why do I have the second biggest pile of presents here?" he continues to whisper.

"Because you're our newest family member!" the youngest female omega exclaims as she settles beside him after moving from her spot by the tree.

Confused, his head whips around, "But we're not bonded or married or going to be," he protests, since that is the only way he can consider joining a family.

Giggling, the slightly younger girl replies pertly, "Silly boy, you don't have to be blood related, bonded, or married to be part of the family. You just have to be accepted and you have been."

Still confused he looks to the dark-haired alpha beside him for answers, because that really does not make sense to him. Instead all he gets is a reassuring smile and a loose, one-armed hug.

Since it is Christmas, he is not going to push the matter, he will ask Greg about it further later.

The topic is changed when Nikki exclaims, "Open presents!" as he grabs his first gift.

Over the next two hours or so the group opens their gifts, has pictures taken with their gifts and each other, drinks lots of hot chocolate, and otherwise just is with each other. At times he feels out of place because it is obvious that they are all very close and at other times he feels like this is exactly where he belongs. Each of the gifts he had bought for the others are well received. Particularly his gift for Marge, an intricate silver picture frame he had seen in a market stall with spots for sixteen different pictures of various sizes. His own pile of gifts were almost all practical items, some related to his desire to learn more about cooking, some related to his wishes of joining the medical field, and others things like new clothes and school supplies.

After they are done with gifts, they have a very light breakfast with scones before putting their things up in their respective rooms so that t he living room is not full of the presents. He is mildly shocked that Marge keeps most of the gift wrap, apparently she takes pieces of it to use for decoration in her Christmas scrapbooks that are made just after the new year. He is even reassured that he will get one much to his shock.

Once they are done putting their things away Nikki commandeers his uncle while he finds a quiet place to sit and write in his journal even as he watches the rest of them.

He is mildly surprised when the eldest omegas asks if he wants to help cook Christmas dinner but quickly agrees, liking the idea that he will have a chance to learn more new things. Or at least begin learning since he does not always remember on the first time doing it. the next several hours are spent between helping with the prep work and cooking, and writing in his journal. During one of his moments helping with the Christmas ham Vicki gets her hands on his journal. She is confused by the fact that it is not written in English and proceeds to quizzing him about it, much to his embarrassment, until her mum puts her to work on the pies.

As the food finishes, she has him lay it out carefully on a small table that has been set up to use as a buffet. When dinner is served he is happy that they can sit where they like because he sits between Vicki and Greg, since they are the ones he is the most familiar with. Like the meals of the previous day, he is mostly quiet through them, preferring just to watch and marvel at how very different this family is from his birth family. Not once had he heard or seen the families alphas try to give orders and all of the families omegas seem perfectly comfortable with each other. Hugs always seem to include scenting, though he tries to not hug most of them because he doesn't want to scent them, the only one he is comfortable with scenting is Greg.

After dinner they all retire to the living room to watch Christmas movies before bed. Sometime during the third movie he had fallen asleep with his head against his flatmate's shoulder. He had briefly woke up as the alpha was carrying him upstairs but had quickly fallen back to sleep.

The following morning he had woken up curled up on the bed next to Greg, his smaller body tucked up close to the alpha's as they slumber, one arm thrown across the taller man's chest while his head was resting just above his heart beat. He is not sure if he should move or stay there because he is comfortable and currently feels secure, but his bladder is telling him that he will have to get up sooner than later. Ignoring it for the time, he drifts back to sleep, enjoying the warm feelings inside himself at the idea of having a family that wants him around. Meeting Greg seven months before has been one of the best things to ever happen to him.


	3. Preparing for New York City

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Thank you for any form of communication, I love it and it keeps me writing!

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John's POV  
The day after Christmas was mostly quiet, spent with the family visiting and him writing in his journal. After a rather peaceful dinner, they visit for an hour or so more before packing their things into the boot of the car and heading back into the city. The last few days have definitely left him with a lot to think on. Like the car ride to the farm, the car ride back is mostly quiet with only music playing to break the silence. Upon reaching home, he puts his things away in the room before wandering out into the living room and plopping down on the sofa.

"Enjoy Christmas?" the alpha inquires as he sprawls on the other end of the sofa.

Tucking his legs up beneath him, he nods hesitantly. "Yeah, it wasn't what I was expecting."

Chuckling, the older male nods, "Understandable, mum really was happy that you accepted being pulled into the family so easily, she was worried it was going to be a bit much."

"It almost was," he replies as he remembers the last few days, "Not sure why your family seems to have decided I belong but, ummmm, I am not arguing about it." Ducking his head and blushing he simply states, "It was nice."

Grinning at him the alpha replies, "Smart families listen to the family's omega. That's mum, she decided you were family, and we all agreed to it."

Blinking, he just tilts his head to the side before nodding slowly. The Lestrade's really are unlike any other family he knows of.

"Did the sisters tell you what they decided to do for Christmas for me?" he eventually asks.

"Sort of, they asked if you were serious about wanting to learn more about the various forms of cooking." The taller man answers with a shrug, "Told me that you would be gone for two weeks in January."

He nods absently, remembering the tickets and such. They are for the first two weeks of January, starting the second with a return trip on the seventeenth, plus a hotel room for the entire time he is there, along with classes the second week he is in New York on various types coffee and tea making. Even though he still feels that it's too much, a small part of him is excited to have chance to do this. Only problem is, by American standards he's considered a minor because he is seventeen.

Quietly he remarks, "I'm seventeen, by their standards I am an unaccompanied minor. That scares me slightly."

His companion frowns, eyes narrowing for a moments, "Where are you staying over there?"

"One sec," he replies before getting up and going in his room to get the envelope with all the stuff in it. Coming back to the living room, he pulls the stuff out, including the plane tickets, hotel arrangements, coffee and barista classes, and a prepaid card with two-thousand American dollars on it. Handing the paperwork of the hotel over, he watches the older man read it.

"Hey, I've heard of this place, they offer a protective detail for single omegas exploring the city," the alpha remarks as he looks up at him with a reassuring smile.

He sighs in relief, he had been partly concerned about that, while he had lived on the streets for just about six months, he did not consider himself a street kid or skilled in the ways of the street.

"I have an idea. I still have tomorrow off, how about we spend a few hours each day working on self defense for you?" the alpha suggests earnestly.

Shocked at the idea, he nods once with a smile, "I, yes, thank you."

"We'll start tomorrow. Spend a few hours on it, then when I get done with work over the next few days we'll continue that so you can feel better about yourself when you go to New York." The taller man remarks before standing, "For now, I am off to bed. Sleep well John," he murmurs before doing just that.

For a while he stays where he is, thinking about it and slowly smiling. His alpha flatmate keeps surprising him in the best ways. Maybe he could join a boxing ring or martial arts academy, though when he would have time for it he does not know. Still, it is something to consider and think about for later. Maybe he could find somewhere to teach him to shoot too, not that he expects to ever have a gun or a job with a gun, but it is something he would like to do. Shaking his head, he gets up and turns all the lights off before going to bed himself.

In the morning he is the first one up, not that that's surprising, he often is which is why he was learning breakfast foods more than anything. Not long after he gets his morning shower and is wandering into the kitchen with a pair of sweats and vest on, the alpha joins him. After a light breakfast of eggs and toast with orange juice, the taller man heads into the living room where he shoves all the furniture to the wall so that most the floor is open. For several hours following that, the two of them go through a series of different breaks, grapples, and attacks.

The first time he throws his flatmate at the wall he feels instantly bad about it because he is concerned he hurt him.

"That was great! Do it again," the taller man tells him with a grin as he sits up, "Did you worry about hurting the others while you played rugby?"

He thinks about it for a moment before shaking his head, "Ummmm, no, I just enjoyed myself," he replies slowly.

Smirking, the taller man retorts, "Then treat this the same way."

Nodding once more, he goes back to the waiting position that they been using. Several more minutes pass as he gets the hang of throwing his friend around. When the alphas phone goes off, he goes to make lunch while his friend is on the phone. A few minutes later, the taller man comes into the kitchen chuckling and shaking his head.

"What is it?" he inquires as he hands over a fresh sandwich for his friend to eat.

"That was my boss. Apparently one of my neighbors called and reported a domestic violence case and the dispatcher recognized my address so she reported to my boss." The older male answers him, still chuckling.

He can feel his eyes widening as he understands and cannot stop the chuckle that escapes him before asking, "You're not in trouble are you?"

"Nah, I explained what's going on to my boss, and he said that we could use the training room if we wanted to, so would you like to meet me at the station tomorrow after work?"

Tilting his head to the side, he thinks about it for a bit before nodding once, "Alright," the idea makes him a bit nervous about being around the alphas that are sure to be there.

Since there are no classes for the week between New Years and Christmas, he uses that time to get as much work done in advance as he can, works at the café again once it reopens, and spends an hour a day with his alpha flatmate in the police force training room. At times he is nervous of the other police alphas, but they all treat him rather carefully, and it startles him. It is something more that he is going to have to consider. Part of him hopes to see the military blonde alpha again, but another part of him is nervous about the idea. Instead he gets lots of cadets, some of which faintly smell of the alpha as if they have been in his presence for long periods of time. It sort of gives him a chance to adjust to that scent a little. New Years is spent at the flat, enjoying the quiet while he reads, though he wishes everyone he knows a happy New Year.

The morning of the first, he packs himself a bag, using mostly clothes that the alpha had bought him for school, along with his journal so he can keep notes. The rest of the day is spent between worrying and making quick meals to store in the fridge so that his flatmate has food stored and doesn't have to get take out since he heard from the others that is his favorite ay to eat from the other officers.

By the time his flatmate gets home from work, his nerves are nearly through the roof. He's never been on a plane before. Never been out of the country before and is worried about his first trip out being by himself.

"John, are you alright?" the alpha questions as he sets his stuff off to the side and looks at him.

He nods, but is sure he is unconvincing since the taller male comes over and loosely wraps his arms around his shoulders. Instantly, he buries his nose against the taller man's chest and takes a deep breath.

"What if something goes wrong?" he mutters, "lots of things could go wrong."

"Shhhh, it's alright, nothing is going to go wrong, you're going to do remarkably and come back with all sorts of new information and stories about your adventures." The older man reassures him.

He nods quietly, still scenting his friend, and trying to relax. Things will be fine. As soon as he gets there he will see how silly he was for being worried. At least it was nowhere near his heat. That would have been a massive problem.

"Here, I'll make dinner, you sit over on the sofa, and we'll have a nice cuddle when we're done eating." The alpha directs him.

Nodding absently he does so. Watching as the taller man moves about and smiling when he hears the alpha chuckling over all the food in containers in the freezer and fridge that he made. When he is done cooking a rather quick and simple spaghetti dinner, the older man brings two bowels to the living room with forks and spoons. Side by side and quietly they eat their dinner before setting the plates aside, the alpha then pulling him against his side and just holding him.

Taking a deep breath, he relaxes into his friends hold, and enjoys the cuddle. Prior to meeting Greg he had never understood why he wanted to cuddle so much. He had not understood why he wanted to feel close to another when no one in his family seemed to feel like that. William was an abusive ass of an alpha who liked to get drunk and attack them. His mum was a very scared and submissive beta who would never do anything that her alpha husband did not want her to. His older sister was rebellious and a working on becoming a drunk herself. His omega grandmother was as submissive as her beta daughter, and while she was affectionate on the rare times they visited, they had not visited often due to the fact William hates omegas. His alpha grandfathers were both distant, though his Moriarty grandfather was a bit more violent and cold than his Watson grandfather. His other grandmother was also a beta who bowed to the will of her alpha. None of them are affectionate regularly, so the Lestrade's were so very different from what he was used to. So when Marge had taken the time to explain to him while he was sick that omegas heal and grow better with affection, that the emotional care helps them to become stronger, it had made more scene why he felt the way he did.

Now he was more used to curling up with the alpha when he felt stressed. Accepting the comfort the older male wanted to give, though he still avoided it from most other people, not liking to have strangers get to close, particularly strange alphas.

Sometime during their cuddle he had drifted off to sleep he realizes as his eyes flicker open and he is lying half curled on and beside the taller man who is stretched out on his sofa again. Shaking his head, he chuckles softly, carefully scooting off the sofa so to not wake his companion up as he heads to the bathroom. It fails he discovers as he exits the bathroom to find the taller man sitting up again, sleepily rubbing his eyes.

"Better now?" the older male asks, his voice sleep rough.

"I am thank you," he replies softly as he sits back down, glancing at the clock on the wall he suggests, "We should go to bed for a few hours before I have to go to the airport."

"Sounds good, you sleep well John," the alpha remarks as he stands and stretches, "I've already talked to my boss and will be taking you to the airport so you do not have to ride in a cab or on the tube."

Smiling, he nods as he murmurs, "Thank you," before getting off the sofa as well and heading to his room.

In the morning he is surprised when the alpha is up first, even more surprised to see breakfast waiting for him. The two of them eat almost in silence, though it is a comfortable silence, before he showers and gets ready to get on the plane for nearly eight hours. Yes the flight is only seven and a half hours long, however one should include time for boarding and getting off according to his bosses, or for weather making it faster or slower. Also he has been told the time at the airport was probably going to be forty-five minutes to an hour.

After they have gotten all cleaned up and ready, he grabs his back pack, nodding to his friend that he is ready.

Smirking at him, the alpha nods back and the two of them head to the car before going to the airport. Since his flatmate is dressed for work in his police outfit, he is moderately certain that it smoothes it out further.

At the gate, after they have already checked in his bag in, his friend hands him a small plastic card, "Here, I forgot to give this to you this morning."

Quickly glancing at it, he smiles when he realizes it's an international phone card, "Thanks Greg."

"Take care of yourself. I'll be here to get you in two weeks." The alpha tells him seriously, before giving him a quick hug, nose just barely touching his neck.

He often scented his flatmate, particularly when upset, but rarely did the older man scent him since he understands it can make him uncomfortable. Grinning, he returns the action before heading onto the plane and ignoring the various folks making cooing noises. He's happy to discover he's at the back of the plane with no one behind him, maybe he'll be able to take a nap so he is not feeling so tired when he gets there. When he is not sleeping he plans to be writing in his journal, continuing to consider the matter of alphas, particularly the one he lives with and the one he hopes to meet again.

* * *

So when I originally started doing the bingo stories I had not expected them to be anything more than one-shots, this is my second one that is going to be several chapters long, and I think that there is going to be at least two more long ones in my set. Depending on when I get this done, I plan to get back to the Pack Verse and I say thank you to all my regular readers who are still with me despite the long wait between updates.


	4. Arriving in New York City

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Thank you for any form of communication, I love it and it keeps me writing!

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John's POV  
When the plane lands, he waits for the other passengers to get off before getting off himself. Not wishing to deal with the press of people anymore than he has to. As soon as he steps off, he glances around, trying to determine where to go. So he is surprised when a slender, black-haired alpha in a suit approaches him with a friendly smile.

Instinctively he steps back as the alpha gets closer, there are too many scents to clearly determine what the other man's purpose is.

If the slender man notices his hesitation, he doesn't mention it, instead he greets him, "John Watson? I'm your escort from the Hotel Elysée for the next two weeks, Jim Brook," the alpha offers his hand, smiling at him warmly though there is something off with that smile, even though he cannot tell what it is.

For a long minute he studies the slender alpha, before politely accepting the hand in a firm shake, "Nice to meet you," he murmurs politely, not feeling the urge to introduce himself since the other man already knows his name.

Still smiling at him, the alpha releases his hand after a long moment before turning partly towards the door, "If you'll follow me, I'll show you to the hotel, it's nearly lunch time so if you would like I can make some suggestions as to where is worth eating at."

"Umm, yes thank you, that'd be great," he replies, "I need to get my bag first."

Nodding once, the dark-haired alpha motions towards the large sign that states luggage collection, and the two of them head in that direction.

Mostly he keeps a safe distance between himself and the tall man, studying him out of the corner of his eye. Every time they get somewhat close, he catches the alphas scent and there is something familiar about it, and yet he cannot place it. At the luggage collector, he grabs his backpack and quickly puts it on, not giving the taller man a chance to grab it.

A small smirk curves the alpha's lips before he nods once and motions silently to the door. Quietly and quickly the two of them move through the crowd. Once outside the slender man leads him to a side parking lot and a waiting sleek black car.

"Mr. Brook," he begins only to be cut off gently.

"Call me Jim please," the alpha remarks quietly.

Eyes narrowing, he nods once, "Jim, could we do the food first? I haven't had anything to eat in nine hours besides peanuts and fuzzy drink."

"Of course," the taller man replies, "Any preference on type of food? Or there is the option of the hotel's restaurant."

"Something American?" he answers, a bit unsure what all is available.

Chuckling softly, the taller man nods, "Front or back?" the alpha inquires politely, waiting for him to specify before opening a door.

It takes him a minute to understand the question before answering, "Front," with a small smile.

Bobbing his head, the slender alpha opens the passenger door for him to slide in, though it takes him a moment to realize it since he is used to it being the driver side.

Chuckling at himself, he gets in, shifting his backpack to his lap instead of his back, and fastening his seatbelt while the alpha shuts the door and quickly strides around to the other side.

"American food you said, any particular preference?" the older male inquires as he shuts his door and clips his seatbelt.

He shakes his head, "I dunno, I ummm, I want to try something new, I just don't know what," he eventually answers, embarrassed when he stumbles while speaking.

The alpha cocks his head to the side again for a moment, "New York Pizza then, it's considered a major American food group."

He bobs his head and sits quietly, though his nose keeps twitching as he tries to place the alphas scent. It's so very familiar and yet he is sure he has never seen or met this alpha before. While he tries to figure out why the older man's scent is familiar, he stares out the window at all the building, many which are unlike anything he is used to seeing. Of course he hasn't seen all of London but still.

The silence is broken by the alpha asking, "Roadside parking or parking lot?"

Blinking rapidly, he tilts his head for a moment, considering the traffic before answering, "Parking lot."

Nodding once, the alpha finds a parking lot, and pays the toll before finding a spot to put the car.

"I'll be locking the car if you want to leave your backpack in it," the dark-haired man offers.

Thinking about it for a minute, he nods once before opening his door, sliding out, and setting his pack down as he does so. Once the alpha has gotten out and locked his side, key sliding into his pocket, he locks his door and shuts it before stepping beside the alpha and waiting patiently.

Smiling at him, a bit more genuine than his previous smile, the alpha tips his head towards the street and sidewalk.

Quietly the two of them leave the parking lot and heads down the street to a small pizza shop. His eyes are sweeping over everything, amazed at the different styles of buildings and designs, at all of the scents he can smell, and all the vast variety of people with their different looks and styles. As they continue down the street, the scents are nearly overwhelming and he is happy when they duck into the pizza place where the primary thing he smells is the pizza.

He is actually surprised at how quiet the alpha is being, except for telling him about different buildings in a soft, lilting voice, he has not said hardly anything. Briefly he considers trying to start up a conversation on something else, but decides against. Right now he doesn't want to add to his things to think about. He really wants to figure out why the alpha with him smells so familiar. Plus he plans to call and leave a message for Greg to let him know the flight went well and he is here. He'll also tell him about the fact he has an alpha escort from the hotel, possibly even tell his friend that the alpha smells familiar and he cannot figure out why.

So he stays quiet, listening to the things around him and only talking a little bit when making his choice for an order. The meat lovers pizza with extra cheese sounds good, so that's what he gets with a Dr. Pepper.

It surprises him how quiet the alpha is and the fact he seems almost unnaturally still as the only part of him that moves is his dark eyes sweeping the room. From beneath his lashes he studies the dark-haired man, taking in the sharp features, light skin, dark brown, nearly black eyes, and the fact he seems to be well dressed. Of course from what he knows of the hotel that is not surprising, it makes sense that he would be well dressed, but he gets the impression that its normal for him, he doesn't have that uncomfortable feel he noticed that some people have in their clothes when they are not used to them.

Several minutes later their meal is delivered and he is surprised at how big the pizza and drink is. Since he is hungry, he simply shrugs and digs in, though it takes him a minute looking around to realize why he doesn't have a fork to cut it up with. Through the meal he continues to study the people around them, and the alpha in front of him in particular. When they are done, he fishes his wallet and the card that his bosses gave him for food and such to pay for it, only to discover that the alpha had already paid. He tries to argue the fact he does have money, but the alpha just waves it off, stating it comes with his room. Since he cannot remember the exact list of stuff offered by the hotel, he stops arguing.

After they leave the pizza shop the taller man inquires, "To the hotel or look around here for a bit?"

Grinning, he replies, "I need to walk, not used to being still for so long, so around if that's alright?" He knows he his voice is unsure and questioning, but he wants to explore this place. At least a bit. There are so many things here he never would have considered and he wants to explore them all.

Nodding, the alpha motions towards the door and they return to the street. He is surprised that the alpha stays a bit behind him, but continues to tell him about all of the places they pass and the shops that they slip in and out of. There are a wide variety of street vendors and performs of all types working on the sidewalks, even more than he has ever seen walking through London. He considers buying food off some of the vendors but is full from his pizza. When the scents start to get to be too much, he glances about, trying to remember exactly where they came from so he can head in that direction. Apparently his companion understands, because he motions off to the side and when he follows the taller man's direction, it takes them right back to the parking lot with their waiting car.

The alpha opens his door first, before heading around to the other side to open his own door and slide in.

A few minutes later they are back on the road and he continues to watch all the people as they drive to the hotel. He is surprised to find that it is actually only a few blocks from where they had ended up.

At the hotel, the taller man escorts him in, quickly fetching his room key from the hostess before showing him up to the room. When they reach the door, the older man opens it for him before handing over the keys.

"Would you like an escort to dinner or planning on staying in?" the alpha inquires quietly at his door.

Tilting his head, he glances at a clock before answering, "I think I am going to stay in tonight," he bites his lip, "I'll be up around eight am."

Smiling at him softly, the dark-haired man nods, "Then I will see you at breakfast. If you need something, this is my pager number." A sleek white card is handed to him, with two numbers on it, the first being a phone number, the second a pager number.

"Alright, ummm thank you Jim," he responds as he tucks it in to his wallet.

Doing a slight bow, the alpha withdraws after bidding him, "Sleep well."

Closing the door, he glances about and goes over to the clock where he sets the alarm. That way, he will be up when he said he would. Tugging his journal out of his coat, he sprawls on the bed and starts writing. Reviewing everything that had happened today from the time he left the flat until now. It was a rather long day, and despite being on a plane for nearly eight hours, he had only actually lost five hours of the day due to the time difference.

His exploring of New York City, at least such a small part of New York City, had been a blast. Initially he was concerned that having a strange alpha with him was going to cause problems, but he felt surprisingly comfortable around the taller man and was still working on figuring out why his scent was so familiar. He is quite sure he should know it, but he cannot figure out why.

After checking the clock and seeing that it is five pm here, which makes it ten pm at home, he retrieves his calling card, reads the instructions for the phone, and calls Greg. Happily, his flatmate picks up on the second ring.

"Lestrade."

"Hi Greg, thought I would call and tell you my flight went good, how's it going?" he replies happily to the older man, beginning to feel sleepy.

"John! Hey, everything is good, no fresh dead people today thankfully. At least none I was assigned to, so I am working on getting my paperwork caught up." his friend answers with a chuckle before asking, "How's the trip so far?"

He smiles for a long minute before remembering his friend cannot see it and responds, "Its been fun, I spent all day wandering around the city with my alpha escort assigned by the hotel. He met me at the airport and everything."

"You feel safe with this alpha?" his friend inquires, worry obvious in his tone, probably because he knows him and his issues with most alphas.

"Shockingly enough, I do," he pauses for a minute, tilting his head, "Actually he smells really familiar but I cannot figure out why."

"Have you considered asking? Maybe he is using one of those scent lessening bath care products." His dark-haired friend suggests, his tone a bit playful.

Chuckling, he shakes his head before remembering he cannot be seen and speaking aloud instead, "No, not yet, I want to see if I can figure it out first."

"Well good luck, hey I have to work in the morning, but call me back tomorrow night and we'll talk more," Greg remarks, "Take care of yourself John."

"Thanks Greg, sleep well and don't get injured while I am gone!" he replies before hanging up his phone.

Standing he decides on a shower before taking a nap, though he has a feeling it will really be going to bed for the night. After digging his shampoo and body wash out, he heads into the bathroom and takes a minute to figure out how to run the tub since it is slightly different than theirs at home. Once the hot water is pouring down, he climbs in after undressing and enjoys the feel of the water on his skin. Afterwards, he uses a towel to dry off absentmindedly while he thinks about why the dark-haired alphas scent is so familiar.

It is not long later that he is sprawled in the bed with only his pants and sleeping bottoms on so he can take a nap. Well that's what he tells himself its going to be, however a very active and full day causes him to pass out, and he does not wake up until the alarm is going off in the morning.


	5. Refelctions

Tumblr about my stories: JaimiStoryTeller

Thank you for any form of communication, I love it and it keeps me writing!

Lots of thanks to NoOrdinarySouthernGirl for all of her help, she's awesome

* * *

Jim's POV  
He is causally leaning against the wall, waiting for the plane from London to arrive while his mind wanders over the past.

As a child he had often wondered why his mum didn't have a mate or husband like other parents. Any time he would ask, she would cry or get upset, staying depressed for days at a time. He learned early on how to take care of himself since she so clearly could not. She tried, of course, any time she was not deep within her depression, she had set up the kitchen and living room so that he could easily do things for himself. Whenever she was aware she would ask after his schooling, telling him it was very important to get good grades because he would be able to escape this life.

He had presented as an alpha at age twelve, a bit young according to the doctor at the school. It had surprised everyone, particularly considering the fact he was so small, they had been sure he was going to present as a beta or even an omega like his mum. It was not long afterwards that the bullies he had always dealt with had gotten far worse, up until he started getting even in under the table ways. His biggest bully he had poisoned, delighting in watching as the other alpha drowned in front of several schools worth of people. The other bullies in his life he dealt with each in a way that worked perfect for them.

After his presentation, his mum had gotten far worse, she became rather clingy, wanting to cuddle and press her nose in his throat for hours at a time. Often times, it was during these cuddles that he would consider their home situation further. The day he noticed the bite mark on his mum's neck, he had a new topic to research and spent days at the library and hacking online, researching what that bite mark was. Learning all about alphas and omegas, about the bonding between the two when during a heat an alpha bites into the gland on the back of an omegas neck it ties the omega to that one alpha for the rest of their life. The alpha could abandon the omega but the omega could never leave the alpha. Well, if the bond was allowed to remain for a year, the omega could only be freed by death. An omega that was bonded and abandoned would waste away. Depression would eat them alive, often driving them to suicide unless they were particularly stubborn or had another reason to live, often in the form of offspring from their alpha.

It was after he discovered that information that he went looking for his mum's alpha. He refused to call it his sire, choosing instead to hunt for them for revenge.

He was fourteen when he discovered that his mums surname was different from his, that even though she was bound, all the paperwork was still in her maiden name. She was Christina Brook by birth, had been a brilliant woman prior to her bonding during her second year of university. Prior to the bonding she had been studying biology, with a promising future before her. Then, after her spring heat that year she had started to change, her grades dropping and her emotions going haywire. At that point no one had considered checking her for a bond bite, after all, she avoided alphas as much as possible. No one knew who her alpha was, and by time she turned up pregnant, she had been bound for over a year, trapping her for the rest of her life. Apparently, the only reason that his last name was different was a blood test was run and there had been several alphas tested that year for paternity because they had selected to spend heats with several different omega females.

Once he knew who his sire was, he had went searching for him, not to bring him back to his mum, but because he wanted to get a new DNA sample to have tested, to confirm it since the one used at the time of his birth was only eighty percent accurate. What he had discovered was a drunk alpha whose blood was way too easy to get, married to a beta, with two children, a male and a female. He never tried to contact the alpha that sired him, was only a little curious about the siblings he would probably never know.

When he was fifteen his mum died of heart failure, the doctors had not been sure what to do with him. As an already presented alpha there were not a lot of places he could go, most orphanages were for children who were betas or un-presented. Alpha houses were packed because a lot of poor families couldn't take care of their alpha offspring, having a difficult time teaching them control and handling the aggression that most alphas seemed to be full of. So the doctors and social workers had dithered, unsure what to do until he had taken it out of their hands.

The last time he was seen in his home town had been the day of his mum's funeral. He had been the only one there besides the local clergy man saying the prayers.

Since he no longer had parents and had been taking care of himself for years, he packed his things and moved to first Dublin where he made money as a hacker and a small time thief, but where he really excelled was information gathering. Despite moving, he had re-enrolled himself in school, not because he wanted to waste his time, but because it made it easier to hide in plain sight if people thought him a simple student.

Shaking his head, his eyes sweep the airport once more, checking the arrival time board before returning to his mind.

In the two years between when he moved to Dublin and finished his required education, he had a large collection of contacts in several different parts of the criminal world. Due to his intelligence he had picked up a wide variety of skills including hacking, pick pocketing, house breaking, grafting, and forging. He was building a name for himself, particularly since he ever seemed to go after other criminals, people who were dirty, or bullies. He built up a network, people who owed him favors, that he could hire, that felt indebted to him for one reason or another.

Just before he turned eighteen he had moved to London to go to university and continue building up his network. Most of his classes he had finished with ease, taking a four year degree and finishing it in two. Of course he had to blackmail a few people in order to be allowed to do so, but that was not a problem for him.

Occasionally he would check in on his sires family, not because he wanted to be with them or what not, but because he was curious to see if either of his siblings were like him. Instead he discovered a very bland seeming brother and a drunk of a sister. Just before his nineteenth birthday he had checked in on them only to discover that his brother had vanished, disappeared right before Christmas with no signs of what happened to him. According to his thief that he had break in, everything about his brother had been erased, all of his things were gone, there was no record of him being there, and the members of the household, his sire and the alphas wife, never mentioned him. Curiosity caused him to track his sister down, blending in to one of her parties to use her drinking problem as a way to gather information, discovering that their mutual parent had gotten rid of him because the youngest had presented as an omega.

After the treatment of his mum, this news infuriated him, so he withdrew, returning to his home and sending his most loyal minion, an older alpha sniper that he had discovered drinking in a bar one night after losing everything, after his brother. He didn't want his omega brother hurt, he wanted him found so he could be protected.

It was another one of those things about him that could be confusing. If he had a choice, he never went after omegas unless the omega was completely twisted on their own without influence of any source. Otherwise he helped them, or at least tried to, hiring many for random tasks that he really didn't need done just to help them survive. He was even planning on making several new omega houses though he had not yet got around to it, being busy doing other work and building up money. Though he could probably retire and live comfortably as is.

It had taken his sniper nearly two months to find his brother, and when he had, he was surprised that the younger man was living with an alpha cop. Even more surprising was discovering that they were not bonded, that the alpha seemed to be his protector but there was no sexual relationship except for during his brother's heats, that the alpha and his family had decided to adopt his brother like a family member.

He hired one of the omegas that attends classes with his brother and one of the betas that works with him to keep an eye on his brother without ever telling them why by using his sniper to do the hiring. That way there would be no familiar scents to give away his secret. So when the beta had reported back to them about the trip, he had quickly looked into it and came up with a plan. It was the entire reason he was now waiting in this lobby for a plane from London to land so that he can greet his brother as a protector from his hotel. He does not plan to tell his brother who he is, wants to see if he can figure it out on his own.

When the plane finally lands, he straightens up, automatically straighten his suit so he looks his best. Even if he is not telling his younger brother that they are half-brothers he still wants to make a good impression. That is something that is slightly confusing to him since he rarely wants to make a good impression on anyone, tending to not care what folks think of him. He watches as the passengers get off the plane, but doesn't spot the omega right off. When he does finally spot him, he realizes he must have been the last person besides the staff getting off the plane and the stocky blonde is looking around as if to determine where to go.

Show time.

With an attempt at a warm smile, he approaches the smaller male, studying him carefully, offering his hand to "John Watson? I'm your escort from the Hotel Elysée for the next two weeks, Jim Brook."

He notices how nervous the younger man is and attributes it to a combination of their sire's treatment of his children and youthful nervousness about a new situation so he ignores it. It's difficult to keep his tone even, but attempts to do just that, along with keeping it soft in order to reassure the omega, rather than worry him. Part of him wants to quiz the younger man, find out everything he can, all of the things that the files and people doing info gathering cannot find. Instead he talks about the city, anything that draws the younger man's attention, and he is glad he had taken the time to learn what he could, most of it was not useful but the way the younger man slowly relaxes as he listens makes it worthwhile.

Lunch goes smoothly, though his eyes sweep over everything in a way that only a thief would appreciate as he tracks every single person and reads everything about them. So far he has never met another person who reads people in the same way he does, of course, he learned his skills from several different grifters and thieves, most who never even realized they were teaching him.

After lunch they explore Times Square, going in and out of the various shops. Despite spending six months living on the streets his brother seems to be in awe of all the people doing their various acts and a bit overwhelmed. He knows when the younger man starts getting overwhelmed and quietly points out which way to go to the vehicle, though they could easily walk to the hotel from here.

Once in the car, the younger man seems to relax, though his eyes are locked on the world outside the car. Several times he feels the smaller man eying him, trying to study him without being obvious about it, and he hopes that it means he is trying to figure out the relation.

After all, he can scent the familial connection with ease, so perhaps his brother does to. Maybe he does not know that he has a brother, could that be why he is confused? Possibly thinking he is a cousin instead? Damn it, he wants to know what the omega is thinking but does not want to push or ask.

When they get to the hotel, he gets checks John in, getting his keys and taking him up to the room. He does not worry about getting into the room since he could easily enter it if he needs to without the key. At the room, he bids the younger male goodnight, handing him one of his cards with his pager and cell number. After he leaves the room, he heads to his flat where he meets up with his sniper.

"How'd it go boss?" the older alpha inquires as he gets himself a drink.

Throwing himself on the sofa he groans as his head falls backwards, "Good. Annoying. Frustrating. Aggravating. Pleasant." He replies, pausing between each word. "I want him to realize. I don't want to tell him. I want to ask questions. I want him to ask me questions. I want him to be smart." Tilting his head, he looks at the tall blonde, asking, "How are negotiations going?"

Grumbling, the older man settles into a chair, "There going, many of the alphas do not like the rules you wish to put in place about omegas."

"Make me a list and I will give you what is needed to make them fall to their knees," he snaps, "I'm on vacation. I will not be doing it for the next two weeks but if I have to deal with them during my vacation they will have a very nasty day."

Nodding once, the blonde replies, "Yes boss."

"Get me those contracts, we'll sign them in blood if need be, their blood of course, but that's not the point. Tomorrow I need to be up at seven," he orders, "For tonight, a little more research, I wish to know exactly what I am talking about when I say something. Also, do we still have a person watching him?"

"Yes boss, I assigned Kevin to keep an eye on him," the older alpha smirks, "Told him I'd remove his knot if something happens to him." He smirks in response, nodding briefly before closing his eyes for a few minutes. Forty-five minutes later, his eyes snap open and he feels wide awake once more. Standing and stretching, he heads into his room, booting up his computer and waiting impatiently for the pages to load. He also grabs the guidebooks on the city and skims through them, committing the important information to memory. That is how he spends several hours, alternating between his boring guidebooks and the web.

When he finally gets tired again, he doesn't bother turning off his computer, instead he sprawls on his bed for an hour before getting back up and showering. Dressing in a different yet similar suit to the one he was wearing the day before, he makes sure he looks presentable. Mentally he reviews the different places that they could go before striding out of his room, his eyes sweeping the flat and spotting his sniper in the small kitchen making breakfast.

"I don't know when I will be back," he tells the other alpha, "Not sure what is on the agenda for the day yet."

"Do you want me to leave the tail on him?" the blonde inquires, pausing for a moment to glance at him.

"Keep him at the hotel," he orders on his way out the door.

"Have a fun day!" his smart ass second calls out as the door shuts.

Shaking his head, he heads downstairs and continues on to the car before driving to the hotel. At exactly eight am he knocks twice at the door to his brother's room.

Opening the door, the younger man blinks at him twice, before smiling and waving him in. "Just have to get my shoes on," the omega remarks, "Slept through dinner, so I'm rather hungry, is there any good waffle places nearby that you know of?"

Quickly his mind reviews all of the dining places he had looked up in the last twenty-four hours before replying, "There is a Waffle House a few blocks from here, roughly a ten minute drive."

"Perfect!" the younger male responds as he ties his shoes, "I ummm, is there a set plan or is it play-by-ear for what to do? I've never visited anywhere before like this."

He grins, happy that he had done the research the night before because apparently it was going to be needed. "There is not a set plan, pretty much it is what would you like to do. There are a lot of different options, landmarks, historical places, museums, parks, public buildings, and entertainment place," he lists some of the options off, watching the younger man's face as he concentrates. A small part of him is relieve that there did not seem to be anything he found boring according to expression.

"Maybe museums today?" the omega selects questioningly.

For a minute he thinks about it before nodding once, "Well if we head northwards we can go to the to the Museum of Modern Art, get lunch from the vendors in the park, then go up to the American Museum of Natural History. Depending on how it goes, perhaps dinner before moving on to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Then come back here, because it will be late."

Beaming at him, his brother's scent is pleased, "That sounds great!" Standing up the younger man glances about for a minute before grabbing his coat and checking to make sure that his wallet has his card. "Is there somewhere I can get some money off of this? I prefer working with cash."

He nods once, "We'll be passing a bank. You can use the ATM there."

Still beaming, the younger man nods, "That's great! One sec," he digs through his pack, grabbing a journal and quickly looking through it. A moment later he nods, then puts his journal and pack up before coming over next to him. Tilting his head, the younger man studies him inquisitively for a moment before stating, "Ready."

Since they are so close he can smell every single emotion that passes through the omega from his pleasure and nervousness to his curiosity and determination. He still keeps glancing at him questioningly, but the younger man has not asked him anything and he gets the impression that he is planning on building up to it.

Sliding out of the door, the stockier man locks it behind himself after checking to make sure he has the key. Quietly, the two of them head downstairs and out of the building. He leads them to his car and the two of them are off, heading to the bank and then the Waffle House to begin their day.

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So originally I figured this at eight to ten chapters, however it appears that it is going to be just a bit longer than that, probably closer to fifteen, still it should be fun.


	6. That Makes Scents

Tumblr about my stories: JaimiStoryTeller

Thank you for any form of communication, I love it and it keeps me writing!

Thanks to NoOrdinarySouthernGirl for her help with this chapter./p

* * *

John's POV  
As soon as he steps next to the dark-haired alpha that familiar scent hits him again. He is sure that he should know it, but he cannot figure out it. His plan is to spend the day enjoying himself and thinking on the question of the scent, perhaps with a bit more exposure he will figure it out. The two of them leave the hotel in silence, though it is comfortable, like the silences he often shares with Greg. Actually, a lot of the time he has spent with this alpha reminds him of his flatmate, maybe he is related to him?

"Do you have family in London?" he inquires over breakfast, thinking that he might have figured out why the scent is familiar.

Blinking at him in confusion, the older male tilts his head to the side, his neck popping as he studies him for a moment, "A brother," the dark-haired alpha eventually replies.

"Hmmm," he responds with a tilt of his head. Cannot be his flatmate then, he has sisters, not brothers, and his dad respects his mum too much to have had children outside of the bond.

The rest of breakfast goes quietly and he continues to think on the situation. Once they are done eating, and he has paid for the meals, not giving his alpha companion a chance to complain, they set off for the first museum.

At the Museum of Modern Art, they explore the galleries for nearly four hours, bypassing the normal lunch hour in favor of continuing the exploration. He finds it beautiful, impressive, but there are so many people there are several times he finds himself stepping closer to the alpha seeking the safety he feels rather than the press of people. When he realizes there is no way he will get a study everything he wants for a long periods of time, not if he wants to do more exploring of the city, he decides to write it in his journal as something to come back in the future to do. The exhibits might different, but he is sure they will be just as nice to see a second time in the future.

He is distracted as they head to the car, his mind still on the subject of why he finds the alphas scent relaxing. On each occasion he had gotten closer to the taller man than he would normally prefer he had been hit with a sense of home. Unlike when he had smelled the military alpha he does not feel the urge to present himself. It really is like the feeling he gets around his flatmate and his family. In the car he is struck once more by how familiar the older males scent is and how much better he feels now that he is away from other people.

As they drive through the city, he keeps looking out the window at all the various people wearing their individuality and histories in their styles. They pass a few other smaller museums and art galleries and he is surprised by how many of them this city seems to have. After pulling into a parking lot, the older man parks and locks the car, but instead of heading into the building, the taller man leads him across the street and to the park where he sees a variety of venders floating around and understands that this is for lunch.

Smiling, he eagerly looks at all the options before tilting his head to the side and selecting one. The alpha follows close behind as he fetches the food, and he asks, "Are you hungry? You're not getting anything."

A small smile plays at the taller man's lips, "I do not eat a lot," he replies.

Blinking once, he nods slowly, "Alright."

Once he has his food, he looks around for somewhere to sit down and eat since he does not want to make a mess with this rather loaded sausage dog and chips smothered in cheese sauce. When he is done eating, they head to the second museum, this one the American Museum of Natural History.

Like the first one, there seems to be a great deal going on and he is sure that he could spend days in here without seeing everything. So he drifts from exhibit to exhibit, mentally making a list of the stuff he wants to look into later because it is interesting and wishing he would have brought his journal to insure he forgets nothing. As in the other museum there are several times when he ends up closer to the dark-haired man than he is normally comfortable with.

Somehow they get separated in the biology of humans so he decides to stay and look at the exhibits until the dark-haired alpha re-finds him. The one that draws his attention is on the alpha and omegas, with the different features and abilities that have been recorded over the years. The most noticeable of these traits being their scenting ability, the one constant in their evolution, allowing them to notice things that beta humans cannot. Besides being able to differentiate between emotions, it also can be used for noticing chemicals and pheromones, finding a physically compatible match, and determining family from non-family.

That last part catches his attention, particularly as a pair of young teenagers in front of him discuss the fact that they have the same father, that they call their sire, but different mothers. Not trying to, he listens in to their discussion on the different tones brought on by having an omega mother or beta mother. Delicately he sniffs the air, catching how similar their scent is, yet noticing the differences and it makes something flicker in the back of his mind but its gone before he has a chance to understand.

Nervously he glances about, happy when he sees the slender, dark-haired alpha two exhibits down and looking for him according to the way his eyes are sweeping the room. quickly making his way over to him, he nearly immediately feels better when he is within scent range.

It is getting to be a bit too much in here, so he asks, "Could we go? There are too many people."

Nodding once, the alpha directs them out of the building and he finds himself feeling a lot better as soon as they are in the somewhat fresher air of the city.

"Dinner?" the older male inquires politely, arching a dark-eyebrow at him as his eyes sweep the area once more.

Glancing at the watch he has in his pocket, he nods, "That sounds good."

"Any particular type of food?"

He shakes his head, "Somewhere that doesn't have too many people smells."

Smirking slightly, the taller man nods, before leading them back to the car. A little bit later they are pulling onto the road and driving through the city.

He can smell frustration and a bit of concern from the alpha and he is tempted to ask what's wrong but decides not to because he is certain he is the problem. Maybe he should just go back to the hotel and stay in for the rest of the night, he is certain the older man probably has better things to do then babysit a teenager who feels out of place in a new city. Perhaps he should spend the night and next day at the hotel, they have a pool, and a computer room, he could swim or do research and let the alpha get a break from him.

When they pull into a restaurant he doesn't even pay attention to what it is because he is still lost in the debate running through his head.

"John?" the alpha murmurs, catching his attention since it is only the second time in the last two days the older male has used his name.

"Hmmm?" he mumbles before shaking his head, "Sorry, got lost in my thoughts."

The older male merely nods, looking at him speculatively for a long moment before opening his door and getting out so he does the same.

Glancing about he spots they are in front of a Chinese buffet and smiles since Chinese happens to be one of his favorite things to eat. As they are walking in the door, he gets bumped by a kid passing in the stress and ends up tumbling against the taller man.

Automatically, the alphas hands come up to catch him, but he still gets a face full of suit and as he straightens out he takes a deep breath, catching that familiar scent once more but without the distance between them he realizes why its familiar. It's like his scent only different.

What? No. Not possible. No way Jim could be his sibling, his mum only ever had him and his sister. But the voice in the back of his head reminded him of that comment made by his Grandfather Moriarty so long before about the omega William had knocked up.

Without thinking or saying a word, he turns and bolts. Legs stretching into a familiar gait as he runs as fast as he can, he can't deal with this right now.

Memory of the streets helps him navigate around people as he heads towards the hotel. A useful trick he had learned while living on the streets of London and while his mental map was not even close to perfect, it worked well. He didn't know how long he ran, just that he ran until he was nearly unable to breath. It had been too long since he ran regularly and decided then to add a job to his daily routine when he gets home.

When a heavy hand grabs his shoulder and the scent of an unfamiliar alpha fills his nose, he acts on instinct, lashing out with one of the kicks his flatmate had shown him before bolting again.

The second time he stopped he was just a block away from the hotel and wanted to calm himself so that he does not look as disheveled when he walks in the door and up to his room. His chest is aching, pain spiraling outwards making it hard to breathe but he doesn't want to stay here too long. If he is going to pass out, as he has noticed follows the pain, he would rather do it in the safety of his room. behind a locked door.

He is startled when he steps through the door to discover Jim lounging on the small divan in his room.

For a long minute he just stares at the taller man, trying to decide what would be best before finally sighing and shutting the door.

"I had Sebastian get us food, figured you would be hungry once you got done running." The alpha remarks without moving from his spot.

"How did you get in here?" he demands, his nerves on edge because the alpha got in when the door and windows were locked, pain still radiating outwards.

The older male's expression is bored as he replies, "I picked the lock, I wanted to talk to you, particularly after you did such a lovely run, and the fact you knocked Seb into a wall, so very few manage to do that. Why'd you run?"

"This can't be happening," he mutters to himself as he decides he needs a glass of water. After drinking the water he turns to face the alpha that hasn't moved from his spot. "Why are you here? I don't understand."

"I wanted to meet you. See if you were smarter than our mutual sister. Of course she is a beta so she couldn't smell the connection." The alpha replies lazily, left hand waving in front of him. "Let's play a game, for every question you answer, I will answer one honestly."

For a long minute he just stares at the older man before slowly nodding. When there is a knock at the door, he nearly jumps through his skin.

Faster than he realized the alpha was up and in front of him, long fingered hand pressed gently against the side of his face, expression a mix between concern, frustration, and confusion though his scent was primarily concern.

He is surprised how quickly the scent calms him, particularly when his heart slowly starts to return to normal, the pain in his chest lessening, and he cannot stop himself from staring at the taller male. The only thing that looks anything like the family he had grown up with is the dark eyes, they match William's, otherwise his features are too graceful. Slowly he steps back without ever looking away.

"Shall I let dinner in?" The alpha inquires softly, voice full of amusement.

"Dinner?" he repeats feeling stupid, "I umm I guess."

Nodding, the taller man breaks eye contact after a moment and strides over to the door, reminding him more of a predator than anything. He doesn't say anything as he lets a tall, blonde haired alpha in before just about stalking over to the sofa to sprawl once more.

"Nice kick. My leg is going to be aching for several days," the blonde man greets him cheerfully. "He said to bring Chinese but didn't say what type so I got two of everything on the menu except for szechuan chicken, that I got three of, also got fizzy drinks, dr. pepper, coke, spirit, and orange pop."

He blinks at the tall alpha as he sets out paper plates, food, plastic cups, and the drinks on the desk.

"Don't mind Seb, he seems to be a bottomless pit, I wonder how he doesn't get fat some days with as much as he eats. Pick what you like, its mostly for you anyways," the dark-haired man tells him as he stays where he is for a moment, "So shall we play Q and A?"

Quietly he makes a plate, putting a little bit of everything, but not entire helpings, onto it, so that he can try it. The sweat and sour chicken he gets a little bit more of, since that's his favorite.

"Alright," he eventually answers, after he has eaten most of his food, though he keeps an eye on the big blonde.

"Seb, go away, your making John more nervous than I do," the dark-haired alpha orders the tall one as he finishes eating.

"Alright," the blonde alpha replies, cleaning up his mess and leaving silently.

Still relaxing, though with a small plate of food, the older male waves a lazy hand at him, "You start the Q and A, it will make you feel better I think."

"Why are you here?" is the first thing that comes to mind.

Rolling his eyes, the taller man responds, "I already told you that, I wanted to met you. see if you were as oblivious as the beta. Why did you run?"

Blushing he mutters in response, "I umm was a bit overwhelmed, there were rumors but I hadn't realized they were true." Clearing his throat, he asks the second question he really wants an answer to, "How long have you known?"

"Known what? That I have half-siblings? Five years. Known that our sire is an ass? My entire life. Known that you are an omega? Just about three months. Known that that prick abandoned you? Just about three months. Known where you are? Just a few weeks." There is something in the older males tone though he has a hard time identifying it, "Why a barista and coffee school?"

Startled by the shift in tone and the question, he automatically answers, "I want to be able to open my own café like the one I work in someday. Understanding its components is important. Why do you know how to pick locks?"

Smirking, the taller man answers, "It part of what I do for a living, Didn't you have other plans originally?"

He flushes, ducking his head as he nods once, his voice is low as he answers, "I wanted to go in the army and be a doctor, but I have a heart murmur that keeps me out of the military, so I have no way to pay for becoming a doctor. Do I want to know what you do for a living?"

Chuckling, his half-brother, and boy was that still a shocker, responds, "Depends on how much you like to follow the law."

Thinking of his flatmate, he ducks his head again and groans. If his brother was a criminal did that mean he had to report him to his friend who was a cop? Oh that could get to be a confusing situation.

"How about I not tell you about my career, and you stop worrying about what you need to tell the alpha you live with about," the older male tells him before asking him a question about his classes.

From there the conversation seems to stay light hearted. In many ways it reminds him of that night months before when he had done the same thing with Greg.

He is surprised when the taller man comes closer to him, his scent still concerned. Settling on the arm of his chair, the taller man studies him for a minute before asking his next question and suggesting that they sit on either the sofa or bed.

He nods, and the two of them move to the sofa where he is surprised by the alpha pulling him close but not quite touching. Immediately he notices the reaction in his body, the way he relaxes and the remaining pain breaks apart, making it easier to breathe. Shocked because he has never had this sort of reaction before, he cannot help but stare blankly

"My mum had health issues but often felt better when I was near, so I researched it, family alphas can balance the hormones in omegas, allowing their body to heal quicker," the alpha answers his unspoken question. "I'm violent and dangerous and occasionally cruel, I get bored easily, but I like omegas. Many of them I have met are far more durable and determined than their alpha or beta counterparts, they're told all sorts of things and set out to prove those telling them stupid things wrong. Not all of them, but a lot of them."

"Oh," he mutters as he scoots just a little closer. Now that he has eaten and not in pain all he wants to do is curl up and sleep. Would it be safe to sleep with him here? Its not like he can easily kick him out or keep him out, and he likes him, much to his surprise. Though they need to talk more, he's not sure if he wants an answer to how his alpha half-brother knew he was here. Perhaps he should just chalk it up to whatever it is Jim does for a living.

Drowsily, he continues to try and think about the situation as a slender hand gently pets his arm as he drifts off to sleep.


	7. Tell Me About It

Tumblr about my stories: JaimiStoryTeller

Thank you for any form of communication, I love it and it keeps me writing!

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 _Jim's POV_  
He knows the instance that his brother realizes. Even before the younger man bolts, running surprisingly fast for someone with heart issues. For a half a second he debates about chasing him. Instead he grabs his phone and quickly calls his second telling him to find him, offer help if he needs it but to make sure he gets back to the hotel safely. Once that is done, he gets back in the car and heads there himself. Quietly letting himself in using the lock pick kit he keeps in a pocket always.

Inside the room he decides to check the younger man's journal, curious to see what sort of thing he has written about, and makes sure to pull on his thick gloves that tend to block his scent so he does not leave one behind while touching it. He is surprised to see that it does not seem to be written in English. Actually, he thinks as he tilts his head to the side and studies it, it's not written in any language he knows. Studying it for several long minutes allows him to start working out the repetition of certain letters and symbols and he realizes that it is English, sort of, just done in cryptography. Remarkable. He hadn't thought the younger man would do something like that. Perhaps he is more intelligent than he likes to display. Rather than trying to break the code right now, he sets to memorizing the pages, so that he can work on it later since he is curious as to what his brother feels the need to write in a way no one else can understand.

A bit later, he has it memorized and could rewrite it from memory, so he puts the journal up before carefully rifling through the other stuff in the room. Each thing he moves he makes sure to put back in place, so it looks undisturbed before he heads over to the sofa and sprawls, his mind whirling over all the new details he had learned.

There definitely was a hidden amount of intelligence to the younger man. Not equal to his, but far more than their sisters.

His phone rings, startling him for a moment, and with a scowl he answers it, "What?"

"Your brother kicks fairly hard for such a small thing, boss," his second tells him.

"Why did he kick you?" he demands, as far as he has seen, the omega is not the violent type.

"Well I touched his shoulder—" the older alpha begins only to be cut off by him.

"You did what?" he snarls into the phone.

"I was only going to ask him if he needed help, he hadn't responded when I said 'xcuse me." the older man quickly explains, "So I reached out to touch his shoulder and the instance I did, he landed a rather good kick against my thigh. I stumbled and hit the wall. Not sure where he is now, do you want me to try and find him? He had been following the road back to the hotel the last time."

Growling, he forcibly calms himself, he does not want to stink up the room because that would just make the younger man more nervous. "Fetch Chinese food, enough for all three of us and bring it back here." He orders before hanging up. He'll deal with Seb's stupidity later.

Focusing inwards, he sets to calming his scent and emotions, not because he wants to be calm, but because he knows it's the only way short of drugging his brother he is going to have the talk he wants. At this point he would prefer not to drug him.

When the younger man slips into the room a bit later, he decides that he should probably teach him how to protect himself and be on the lookout for problems. Just because he lives with a copper, and he really is not sure what he thinks of that just yet, doesn't mean he should not check for safety reasons.

Smiling, or at least attempting a warm smile, he remarks off-handedly, "I had Sebastian get us food, figured you would be hungry once you got done running."

The younger man blinks at him, eyes wide and nose twitching, "How did you get in here?" he demands, his voice cracking slightly as a combination of fear, anger, and confusion fill his scent.

Cocking an eyebrow he replies lazily, "I picked the lock," a small smirk curves his lips, "I wanted to talk to you. Particularly after you did such a lovely run and the fact you knocked Seb into a wall, so very few manage to do that." His tone turns curious as he asks, "Why'd you run?"

He actually has a fairly good idea as to why, but it is best to get facts. One of the earliest lessons he had learned regarding information.

Quietly, almost too quiet for him to hear the younger man starts muttering, "This can't be happening," as he wanders over to where the sink with plastic cups is and gets himself some water.

Several minutes pass in silence while the younger man drinks, refills his cup, and drinks some more. According to scent the omega is still emotionally spiking and trying to figure out what is going on. His mind is piecing together the information but he seems skeptical of how right he is. His posture gives away details that his scent does not and he watches as the omega figures out what he wants to do next.

"Why are you here?" the blonde omega eventually queries, tone serious yet confused, "I don't understand." He is pretty certain that the younger man doesn't realize he is shaking his head.

Smiling once more, he replies, "I wanted to meet you. See if you were smarter than our mutual sister. Of course she is a beta so she couldn't smell the connection." He lifts his hand and waves it in front of himself as he suggests, "Let's play a game, for every question you answer, I will answer one honestly."

Silence falls as he just about hears the younger man thinking through the reasoning for what's going on. slowly, the smaller man nods only to nearly come through his skin a minute later when he smells Seb at the door with their dinner.

Recalling that his scent always soothed his mum when she would have panic attacks, he stands and quickly crosses the room. not willing to press an already spooked omega against his throat since he knows he could bite him, he chooses instead to press his palm to the side of his brother's face. This puts his wrist, which also is a strong scent point, close to his nose and allows the younger man to calm down. He can smell as the tension drains out of him, as the distress lessens, and his heart seems to start working better. a small smile curves his lips as the younger man stares at him but he says nothing.

After several long minutes of staring, the younger male steps back, without ever breaking eye contact.

Amused by the equally nervous and defiant behavior, he queries, "Shall I let dinner in?" with a wave of his hand towards the door.

"Dinner?" the blonde omega murmurs for a moment before nodding slowly, "I umm I guess."

While his second could do the same thing he had and pick the lock, it is just as easy to allow the older man entry. With a nod he quickly crosses to the door, opening it and motioning for him to enter. A brief hand motion telling his second that they will be having a chat later to which the alpha sniper merely nods in response as he quietly enters.

A surprisingly gentle smile curves Seb's lips as he tells his brother, ""Nice kick. My leg is going to be aching for several days. He said to bring Chinese but didn't say what type so I got two of everything on the menu except for szechuan chicken, that I got three of. Also got fizzy drinks: dr. pepper, coke, sprite, and orange pop."

Oh good, he remembered his favorite, and from the expression on his brother's face earlier before he had bolted, Chinese was one of his favorites too.

As the smallest looks at all the food is laid out, his eyes seem to go wide in shock and he glances between the two of us alphas.

Trying not to chuckle at his expression he remarks off-handedly, "Don't mind Seb, he seems to be a bottomless pit, I wonder how he doesn't get fat some days with as much as he eats." When the younger man doesn't move he suggests, "Pick what you like, it's mostly for you anyways," accepting his plate from the sniper he queries, "So shall we play Q and A?"

Despite not looking directly at the omega as he makes a plate he registers everything he gets and how much, making quick calculations for which he prefers and why to file away for later. He continues to keep an eye on him when he gets a second plate of food and notices that his second seems to make his brother very nervous. Well then, he will send Seb away for now, he's trying to get the younger man to relax around him, not get all nervous.

"Alright," the omega states softly as he finishes his second plate.

He smiles to himself before glancing at the elder alpha and ordering, "Seb, go away, you're making John more nervous than I do.

Glancing between them, the tall alpha nods once as he responds, "Alright," before cleaning his mess and leaving without another word.

A few minutes after the other alpha the leaves he sits quietly, still watching the omega as he considers what he knows, before sighing silently and suggesting with a wave of his hand, "You start the Q and A, it will make you feel better I think."

Over the next couple of hours they go back and forth with questions and answers though he tries to keep his tone soft and his scent mild. He knows he smells mildly frustrated but it is more at the situation than it is at John. His brother should never have been put in the situation he is in and it makes him want to track down their sire and butcher the older alpha for making him so nervous. So he sets about trying to reassure him by being honest with him, which is really not his strong suit.

In the end his brother falls asleep next to him on the sofa. John's scent is full of worry and contentment, which he understands why the younger man is feeling that way, well sort of. While the younger man sleeps, he continues to gently stroke the blonde's arm as his mind goes over ideas as to what they can discuss and do tomorrow if John fees up to it. As much as he hates the idea, he might have to back off and allow the omega some space. He'll know in the morning, for now he should probably get some rest.


	8. New York City

Tumblr about my stories: JaimiStoryTeller

Thank you for any form of communication, I love it and it keeps me writing!

Lots of thanks to NoOrdinarySouthernGirl for the help

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John's POV  
He wakes up feeling rather warm, a heavier than a blanket weight pressed against his back and legs, body at an off angle for sleeping. It takes a few terrifying breaths for him to realize that he is curled up with Jim on the sofa. He must have fallen asleep while they were talking last night. As soon as he realizes it, his breathing and heart rate return to normal.

"Better now?" the alpha inquires as he straightens up and stretches.

Embarrassed, he nods once, glancing at the floor.

"Your reaction was perfectly normal. There is no reason to be embarrassed." His brother remarks as he stands. "So what shall we do today?"

Blinking at the slightly taller man he shrugs. "I am still processing the fact I have an older alpha brother," he replies softly.

Cocking his head to the side, the dark-haired alpha considers this before suggesting, "Let's get breakfast and then go from there."

Nodding, he asks hopefully, "Waffles?"

"Waffles are good." The older man replies with a smile and then suggests, "Why don't you get cleaned up, I will head to my flat for a few minutes to get cleaned up as well and be back here in half-hour."

Considering it for a moment, a smile slowly spreads and he nods. Getting a shower always makes him feel better. This will probably be no different.

"I'll let myself out and back in," the dark-haired alpha informs him as he stands and stretches.

"Alright," he replies softly, watching as he does just that.

Once the older male is gone, he stands and heads over to his suitcase to decide what type of clothing he wants to wear. It should be something comfortable since he has a feeling he will be out and about for a lot of the day. Frowning, he wonders if he should dress a little fancier than he normally does. He would rather not, but he does not want to make a worse impression than he has already made. After several more long moments of considering it, he finally decides that he might as well stay with the clothing type he's been wearing and leave the nicer stuff for the class so he does not shame the ladies.

With that decided, he grabs a pair of jeans, white vest, and cream colored jumper before heading into the bathroom to shower.

As the water pours over him, he thinks about the fact he will actually have someone to spend time with while he explores the city. Actually, that is a wonderful thing, because he had been frustrated by the fact he was going to be alone and now he wasn't. By the time he is done, he is rather excited, if a bit scared.

After all, what if he does something that bothers his new brother? Will he leave him the same way their sire had left him? What if he doesn't come back?

He is just about in a panic attack from over thinking when he hears the tumblers in the door being opened. A moment later, he feels the very light vibrations in the wooden floor rather than hears the alpha enter.

"John?" the alpha calls out questioningly.

Smiling to himself because he realizes he had been worrying over nothing, he replies, "It's alright, be out in a minute."

There is no response, but that is alright. Instead he finishes dressing before heading into the other room. When he enters, his eyes sweep the room, noticing that the door is closed but not locked, his brother is seated on the sofa and is not dressed as formally now, and there is no one else in the room. However, when he takes a deep breath he can smell the other alpha, causing him to look around cautiously to see where he is at. When he cannot find him, he frowns and looks about again.

"He's in the car. While I can drive, I generally prefer to let him do the driving instead." The dark-haired alpha tells him lazily, with a slight wave of his hand towards the door.

"Oh," he replies with a blush, does Jim understand what he is thinking with just a look?

Smirking, the older male comments, "Not really. You have a simple scent to read. I am uncertain if that is due to our familial relation or some other reason. Figuring out people's motives with a glance is one of the biggest advantages I have. No one expects me to be an alpha because of my size and few ever expect the type of intelligence I have because I tend to play the simple teenager most of the time."

Blushing deeper, he nods, "I could see that. Though how they miss the intelligence I dunno, it's in your eyes."

Arching an eyebrow at him, the taller man studies him for a long moment before nodding once, "Is there anything in particular you would like to do?"

Shaking his head, he replies, "Ummm, not really, look around at the sights, see what all there is to enjoy, try not to overdo it."

Smiling, the alpha stands, "Alright, breakfast first then there are all sorts of places we can go."

Quietly, the two of them leave his room, though he makes sure he has his ID and keys with him. At the car, he finds himself in the back seat with Jim beside him. The tall strawberry-blonde alpha he had kicked and ran from the day before seated in the front.

"Somewhere with good waffles," his brother announces.

A single nod is the only answer from the taller man in the front before the car is off.

As they travel down the road, he watches all of the various people walking about, seeing cultures from all across the world, and more variety than he would see anywhere except the street vendors. When they get to the restaurant, the alpha finds them a parking spot. Before the one in the front has a chance to be out of the car, his brother is already opening the door and sliding out silently.

"Shall Seb join us or stay in the car?" his brother queries as he glances about at all the people.

For a minute he glances between the two alphas before he finally answers, "I guess he can join us, just don't touch me."

"Come along Seb, no touching John." His brother remarks as he opens the front door, and closes the back.

"Sir," the taller alpha replies seriously.

The three of them head into the restaurant, with the blonde alpha opening each of the doors for them. Once they are inside, the strawberry-blonde alpha settles at the small bar they have, while they take a seat at one of the booths. A few minutes later a beta waitress comes over to give them menus and rattle off the specials before withdrawing to get their drinks. While they look over the menu, he continues to glance around, startled to see exactly how many people are in here and that the other alpha is staying away. When Jim asked if he would mind him coming in, he thought that the tall man would sit with them.

"Nah, you are uncomfortable with him, he smells it as much as I do, so he is trying to give you space. He knows that I happen to like omegas and do not like to see them bothered." The dark-haired alpha across from him answers his unspoken question.

Blushing, he looks at the menu again as he mumbles, "Oh."

When the waitress comes back, they put in their orders. The next several minutes is spent with them sitting quietly while he glances around at all the people. He is not used to going out to eat so much, while he had sort of expected it for his trip, having company seemed to make a world of difference.

"Do you, ummm, are you ever in London?" he inquires softly as he realizes he does not know where his brother lives.

"I live in London. Well my primary home is in London." The dark-haired alpha replies with a small smile.

He smiles at that and silence falls between them once more. Maybe if the time they share here goes well the older man would be willing to see him occasionally. He does not expect money or support, but would like a chance to visit with him. Of course that could be him assuming that his brother would want to see him. Just because he likes omegas does not mean he likes him. When they are done with their visiting and it is time to go back to England he will ask Jim if they can visit sometime.

Cocking his head to the side, the alpha states in a sing-song tone, "Stop worrying. If I did not like you I wouldn't be here now."

"Oh, umm sorry," he replies with a bluff, having momentarily forgotten the alpha's ability to read people.

Smirking, the dark-haired male waves it off, "Don't apologize there is nothing you need to apologize for."

He nods, but is saved from answering by the food being brought out. The waffles are huge, they look fluffy, and are covered in berries, syrup, and whip cream.

"Wow," he mutters as he considers how best to attack his meal. He probably will not have to eat again until sometime tomorrow.

Eventually a quiet conversation starts up between them as he asks about his brother's home and family, two things he had not thought to ask about during their original game of questions and answers. When they are done with their breakfast, the dark-haired alpha drops some money on the table before standing.

"Let's explore New York," the older man suggests cheerfully with a smile.

He nods once slowly.

They spend most of the day in the car it seems like, but truthfully they are out of it more than they are in it. The strawberry-blonde alpha barely speaks thought the older man seems to be keeping an eye on them.

"If it would make you more comfortable we can drop Seb off at the flat and I can drive," his brother offers when they are getting ready to get back in the car after stopping at the Twin Towers for him to admire the view.

"What?" he mutters, a bit startled. He had been thinking about the buildings they had already looked at: the Empire State Building with its massive point looking and reminding him lot of a puzzle, the Twin Towers or World Trade Center with their matched two parts of the same whole, and the Brooklyn Bridge with its massive stone towers.

"Every time he gets close to you, you flinch or shift closer to me. That indicates you are uncomfortable with him. We would rather you relax and be comfortable, so I can leave him at the flat if it will make you more comfortable." The older male explains patiently.

Blushing, he looks at the car for a long moment before answering, "It's not him, per say, it's just bigger alphas have always been a threat. First to me physically when I thought I was a beta 'cause they could be bullies, and then to me more than physically after I presented and was on the streets. I do alright with Greg 'cause he smells safe, like family even though there is no relation. I do right with you for close to the same reason." He shrugs not sure he is able to actually make his point because he is having a hard time understanding it himself.

The dark-haired alpha doesn't say anything. Instead he slides quietly into the car, a thoughtful look on his face.

Quietly, he gets in beside the older man, worried that he has done or said something wrong. He is a bit surprised when they go to a flat complex rather than back to the hotel.

"Come on up, we should only be here for a minute." The alpha tells him with a preoccupied look on his face.

He nods and gets out of the car with him, still feeling like he had done something wrong.

As they are walking by the strawberry-blonde's door, Jim opens it without a word, and beckons him to follow. Shrugging, the tall alpha falls in line behind his brother as if that is where he is used to being. They take the elevator while the strawberry-blonde takes the stairs, a small fact that makes him feel a bit guilty when he realizes they are going five floors up.

"Don't worry about it. It's good for his health to get exercise." The dark-haired alpha offhandedly remarks as they get off. "Besides, he gets bored with just sitting or standing around the same way I get bored if I do not have something to think on."

"I understand that, when I first stopped being able to play rugby I spent a lot of time bored, at least when I wasn't trying to hide from those who thought an omega would be easy pickings." He replies softly, remembering what it was like to be able to run and not worry that he would upset his heart, back before he presented and his entire life had changed.

Quickly unlocking the door, the two of them go inside and his brother heads towards the back of the flat and a small door he spots. Not sure what to do, he look around while the alpha is out of the room, noticing that this place seems more like a sleeping place than a home.

"That's because I am only renting it for the duration of our stay in New York." His brother states as he emerges from the room, "Eventually I plan to purchase a place here, but not yet, I wish to have more resources available first."

"Oh," he murmurs as he glances over at him.

Sighing, the dark-haired alpha goes to his door and tugs it open, revealing that the other alpha is standing there, leaning casually against the wall beside the door.

"We didn't stop here so you can stand outside the flat," his brother snaps quietly.

Nodding, the taller man steps into the flat and seems to wait for directions.

Closing the door behind them, he smiles as his brother rolls his eyes.

"Now then, John is uncomfortable with the fact you do not smell safe or like family. Let's fix that." The dark-haired man states clearly.

How is he planning on fixing it? He wonders as he keeps an eye on the two alphas.

Cocking his head to the side, the dark-haired alpha seems to have a completely silent conversation with the strawberry-blonde before nodding once firmly.

It is to his great surprise when the taller alpha sinks to his knees in front of his brother. It doesn't make any sense to him, his brother does not give off a strong alpha scent, particularly not one strong enough to overwhelm or dominate another alpha. So why did the obviously older and physically fit alpha submit so readily? Do alphas ever submit like that? Even the ones he went to school with had a pecking order, but it was often changed based on who won. None of the normal means that he understands for establishing pecking order have occurred.

Stepping closer to the kneeling alpha, his brother gently presses his nose against the crook between shoulder and throat before the scent in the air seems to change.

It takes him a minute to process that Jim scent is getting stronger, more alpha like, and that the blonde alpha is merely accepting it.

Shocked and a little amazed he stares at the pair, struck by the ease between them and wondering if there is something more than boss and employee. Alphas do not submit like that.

When his brother steps back, he turns towards him, motioning for him to come closer.

He does so hesitantly. He is expecting the older alpha to let lose his own wave of scent and pheromones and really does not want to deal with that. Slowly he gets a bit closer, until his nose starts picking up the second alpha, only it is subdued, not hidden but not nearly as noticeable as it had been. Worrying his lower lip between his teeth, he keeps edging a bit closer, sniffing the air.

"Unless someone decides to pick a fight, he should easily retain my scent for several hours." The dark-haired alpha declares with a small smirk and an arched eyebrow.

Inching even closer, he finds that taller man's scent is a lot easier to deal with now. It is no longer making his instincts scream danger.

"If he starts to smell too much like a problem again, we'll repeat the process," the dark-haired alpha announces. "It will also give you a chance to associate his scent with mine so you know on a more instinctual level that he is not a threat."

Now within touching distance, he sniffs the air one more time. Startled, he does it again, shocked at how well their scents seem to have merged together. He can still smell both equally, and yet it is like the older alpha's has given in to the younger. It is amazing and a bit wonderful, almost instantly calming his nerves the rest of the way.

"Aren't your knees sore?" He finally asks after realizing he has been standing there sniffing the air for a few minutes.

A small smile curves the blonde's lips but he doesn't answer.

"Oh, I have had him on his knees for a lot longer than this before," his brother remarks with a flick of his wrist.

"Why's he being so quiet?" he inquires looking at the dark-haired alpha.

Smirking, he is answered with, "Punishment for startling you yesterday, no speaking until after dinner."

He blinks at this response, not what he was expecting and nods, "Umm, alright."

"Speaking of dinner, you are probably getting hungry again, shall we?"

He shakes his head, muttering, "It's alright, we had a big breakfast."

Frowning at him, the dark-haired alpha states, "I can almost smell the hunger on you, just because when you lived on the streets you did not get enough food does not mean you cannot eat now."

A bark of laughter escapes him, it almost sounds like something his flatmate would tell him.

"Greg tells me something like that too," he answers the unspoken question in both the alpha's expressions.

"Smart man," his brother replies with a smirk, "Come on Seb, more driving to do."

Standing, he is immediately dwarfed by the tall alpha but he does not seem quite so intimidating now that his scent is mostly subdued.

Leaving the flat, all three of them take the elevator, though he still keeps his brother between himself and the blonde.

From there they head to dinner, a casual little restaurant that serves Italian food and seems to be mostly run by betas and omegas. After dinner the three of them go for a walk in a nearby park. It's nice and peaceful. When the blonde alpha finally does talk he is rather amusing. He even introduces himself. Apparently his name is actually Sebastian not Seb, and please do not call him Seb because he prefers Sebastian or 'Bastian, only his brother may call him Seb. It is fairly late when the two alphas finally deliver him to the hotel, though he feels far better about being around both now than he did that morning.

That sets the pattern for the rest of the week. In the mornings the two alphas show up just before breakfast. Each time Sebastian's scent has been covered beneath Jim's, though less and less as the week drags on because he is slowly adjusting to the blonde's scent. By Sunday night he is almost comfortable with both of their scents. During the day they go to breakfast and dinner, snacking on things from different street vendors.

One day is spent at Central Park Zoo in the morning. It is rather small but he enjoys it and is actually happy with that fact, it means there are less people for him to deal with and easier for him to enjoy the animals. That evening after dinner at a Irish pub they attend a play on Broadway, a showing of the Lion King that the dark-haired alpha manages to get a private box for them to watch from. He is amazed at how the actors and actresses use their sub-gender traits to make their animal characters seem even more realistic.

Another day is spent at the Rockefeller Center where they explore and enjoy the activities there. This includes looking around the different shops, eating, and otherwise having an interesting time. When they were done at the center they head into the park to watch the street players and enjoy the vendors. He gets is amused by the different people's acts, noticing that all of the genders and sub-genders seem to be presented equally.

Over ll, they hit all of the attractions and landmarks. They even go to a club one night where he is extremely thankful that the strawberry-blonde alpha is so very noticeable an alpha because it keeps other alphas away. He has a blast and gets to know both of the alphas, though he is closer to his brother. By Sunday morning he is exhausted but very happy with how things are going. There is only one thing he is still curious about so he is startled when his brother just brings it up.

"You know, when we all get back to London you can visit with us or even come stay with us if you want."

Blinking, he pauses in place, cocking his head to the side and staring at the dark-haired man.

"I know you have been curious whether we would stay in touch once we returned or not, while I do not plan to become friends with your flatmate, our career options would put us at odds, I would like to continue to communicate." The older man continues seriously.

"Oh," he murmurs in shock, he had been trying to figure out how to ask and had not come up with an answer so this was useful. "I'd like that. Keeping in touch and what not," he continues with a warm smile.

"Perfect! Now you should get some rest since tomorrow is your first day of a rather packed class schedule." The dark-haired alpha responds in his sing-song tone.

He nods and smiles, considering how he would like to relax.

After studying him for a moment, his brother motions to the small sofa as he offers, "Cuddle?"

Again he nods and smiles before he settles on the end of the sofa. A moment later the dark-haired alpha settles onto the other end of the sofa and lifts his arm. He moves close to him and snuggles up against his side, his head resting on the older man's shoulder lightly as he just breathes in his scent. A small smile curves his lips as he relaxes into his brother's side. His smile grows when the older man's hand gently strokes his arm and shoulder gently. Slowly he drifts off to sleep with the comforting touch and scent filling his senses.


	9. Food for Thought

*waves* Hello folks! I know it's been a long while since I worked on this, lack of muse and life got in the way. However this is done and I am posting what's left of it tonight for the WIP Big Bang. I still hope folks will be kind enough to leave comments or smileys if you enjoyed. Have a great one.

* * *

John's POV

Several hours have passed when he finally wakes up, his body rather warm and surprisingly comfortable. He is surprised by the fact he is still on the sofa, only now he is stretched out long ways with his head resting on Jim's lap rather than on his shoulder. The hand that had been gently rubbing and stroking his shoulder the previous evening is still doing so. Despite that, the alpha seems to be fully focused on writing on the pad of paper beside him on the sofa arm. He cannot smell Sebastian, which makes him think that the tall blonde is not there.

When the door quietly swings opens, his nose catches the scent of steaming hot coffee and tasty bagels.

"Perfect timing Seb," his brother states as he sets the pen down on the notebook.

Seb doesn't say anything, instead the alpha crosses the space to set the food down on the coffee table.

"Since you start classes today, I decided extra sleep was in order." Jim remarks as the dark haired alpha reaches for one of the cups. "Breakfast bagels and donuts for breakfast. "

He snickers, sitting up and looking at the remaining cups. His nose twitches as he studies them, and he realizes he can smell the difference between them. The first is pitch black coffee. Not something he drinks all that often because it makes his heart race. The other smells almost like tea, but not quite right.

Biting his lip, he grabs the tea one, and gives a tentative sip, nose wrinkling because it tastes different and he's not sure if he actually likes it or not.

Setting it aside, he goes digging into the bagels and donuts. The first bagel he eats has ham, bacon, cheese, and egg. The second one is sausage, onions, peppers, and cheese. Following that he eats three of the donuts, trying different flavors since there are lots of tastes. Greg would probably get a chuckle out of the fat he is having this sort of breakfast while in New York for classes related to the cafe.

When he's done eating, he glances at the clock, happy to see he still has some time before he has to go but freezing when he considers showering because there are two alphas in his room. Even if the one is mostly safe, his instincts don't like that fact.

"Grab your coffee and go wait in the lounge," Jim orders Seb without actually looking at the other alpha, dark eyes focused on him as he frowns, trying to figure out what to do.

The blonde alpha nods and leaves the room.

"I am going to be downstairs with Seb, page me if you need anything," his brother tells him gently, "I'll lock the door behind me."

He nods, hesitantly smiling at the dark haired alpha.

A moment later his brother is gone, and he hears the reassuring click of the door lock. Of course, he's aware at this point that locks don't mean much to Jim, but he appreciates the meaning behind the action. THat's the important part.

Shaking his head, he grabs his nicer outfit, the first of the four he had picked out so he would not make the ladies look bad by looking like a slob and heads in the bathroom in order to get a quick shower and get dressed. He's thankful for the scent free wash that Greg originally introduced him too. It cost a little more than what he was using on the streets, but it is a far better product and he wishes he would have known about it when he was living on the streets, it probably would have helped him a lot.

Once dressed, he puts his laundry in the bag he brought for that purpose before heading downstairs, key to the room firmly in his pocket, and all the paperwork in his folder grasped firmly against his chest.

"Ready," he tells the pair when he stops beside Jim's seat.

"Perfect, let's get you to class," Jim hums as he stands up, dark eyes sweeping over him and the rest of the class.

The three of them head to the car, at which point his brother gives directions to where they need to go so he can be on time.

"I'll be here when it's done for the day unless you'd like me to hang out?" Jim offers once the car is parked.

He glances between his brother and the door before shaking his head, "I can do this."

Smirking, the dark haired alpha replies, "Never thought you couldn't. Just figured I would offer in case you are uncomfortable with so many strangers."

He nods slowly as he processes the words, slightly amazed that he is so comfortable with the alpha's even though it's only been a week. "I should be good. If I'm not I have your pager number."

"Excellent, have fun in class Johnny-boy," Jim states, voice almost sing-song, making him chuckle as he ducks his head and gets out of the car.

The first two days of class are about being a barista and focused purely on making and understanding drinks. Included in that is the machines, materials, times, and how the different elements work together. It's a rather packed seven hour period that has him taking notes every chance he gets just to make sure he doesn't forget anything since he knows how easy that is to do when learning so much in a short period of time.

The class is taught by a beta with a serious disposition and no tolerance for alpha posturing according to the way she made one of the alphas in the class back down when he got snide with her. It's quite a feat to see, because it's not the common reaction to alpha posturing that he has seen.

There is a one-hour lunch that he spends nearly the entire thing taking even more notes, some on the information packets they were given, others on the paper he brought for just that purpose. He wants to ask questions but there seems to be a bit of a flow and schedule to everything so he doesn't actually want to mess that up. It leaves him in a bit of a quandary about how to get those answers.

The second half of the day goes much like the first, only it seems to fly even faster if that's possible. He's not sure how he manages to keep up when everything seems to be going so quickly. It's almost like he zones on what he needs to do and pushes everything else aside just to keep up. A small part of his mind wonders if any of the others feel as slow as he does, but it's not something he plans on asking.

When they are done for the day, he's surprised that the beta teacher comes over to speak with him.

"I noticed that you were taking notes," she remarks with an easy smile, "Did you have any questions you wanted to discuss because they weren't covered in part one or two of the day?"

He blushes, ducking his head a bit before forcing himself to straighten back out. He does good when working, it's the same theory. No need to be embarrassed to have questions. "Well, yes," he replies slowly, grabbing his papers.

She settles in the chair next to where he had been sitting, motioning for him to take a seat, "Go ahead and ask, I'll answer them as best as I can or tell you if we are covering it tomorrow."

He smiles, straightening them up before beginning to do just that.

The next hour is spent with them going over each of the questions. Very few of them are questions that will be covered the next day, and he feels a lot better about what he learned after he gets some clarification on those questions. Afterwards, he makes it a point to thank the instructor, even though he is having a hard time remembering her name.

He's startled when he realizes that Jim is standing just inside the door, perfectly calm as the alpha watches the people moving about. It makes him wonder how long his brother has been waiting for him and almost embarrasses him because he should have thought about the fact Jim is picking him up.

"Sounds like it was a productive day," his brother comments as he closes the distance between them.

"It was," he agrees, "I'm sorry, i should have realized you were waiting."

Jim just waves his apology away. "You're here to learn something, that doesn't happen if you have questions that aren't answered."

He just nods, even though he can't help but think that the alpha wouldn't have needed to ask questions.

"See you tomorrow John," the instructor calls out as he leaves.

He smiles, giving a small wave as they leave.

"I wouldn't suggest comparing our intelligences." Jim remarks as they head towards the car, "They're different. Mine is more analytical, yours is more empathic. I think, once you are more sure of yourself, and get past the awkward teenage lack of confidence phase, you'll be just as intelligent in your own right. Just different."

"But different can be bad," he replies without thinking about it.

" _No."_ his brother hisses, anger filling the alpha's scent for the first time since they met each other.

He pulls back, eyes going wide.

Almost immediately, Jim's scent evens out again, going calm. "I don't like idiots, never have, they are tools to be used. I recognize that not all intelligence types are the same. Only idiots think that they are. There is nothing wrong with being different."

He nods slowly, eyes still wide as he actually focuses on the words. He spent years being told that different was bad, but does he want to put stock in the words of the alpha who left him in the middle of the city for no more reason than because he's an omega?

Frowning, he thinks about what Jim means until the car comes to a stop, startling him because he hadn't really paid attention to the fact it was moving in the first place.

"Dinner preferences?" Seb asks curiously.

He just shakes his head still thinking about it.

Jim tells the blonde alpha something, but he doesn't actually pay attention to it as the car gets back on the move. There is too much going on in his head for him to pay attention to it. Entire sections of his life are being reviewed, because now he has not just one person who's been telling him his sire was wrong, but two. It wouldn't seem like much to an outsider, but the very differences between both Jim and Greg make it so much more believable than when just Greg was telling him that. After all, he's met his flatmate's family, none of them are like the alphas and omegas he grew up around, so of course Greg would think of it differently. But Jim? He has a different upbringing too, one nothing like his or Greg's and he agrees with Greg.

It's definitely something he will need to think about more after this trip. But for now, well, he wants to focus on his classes and getting to know his brother a bit more.


	10. Hopefull Reflections

James' POV

This is the third time he has decided to go to the little cafe not far from the academy. Every time he hopes to run into the young man with the wonderful scent, but he hasn't yet. He should just ask one of the others that work there, but he doesn't want to come across as a stalker or annoying alpha. He's seen far too many who have done just that, and it has caused far more problems than it solves. At the same time he wants to know if it's worth coming back here over and over again to find the young man.

Despite his curiosity, he doesn't ask as he gets his drink and lunch, before going to settle in the corner and just watch.

He's getting ready to leave when a young woman asks the waitress cleaning tables, "Where's John? I haven't seen him in a few days, here or at class."

Grinning, the beta straightens up as she answers, "He's in New York right now taking some classes. There have been a lot of people asking about him. He's quite popular, though I bet he'd never realize it."

John, he repeats in his head, is that the young omega he wants to ask about? The one with gentle eyes and the timid smile?

Nodding, the woman agrees, "I can believe it. He doesn't seem to notice that he's good at putting people at ease." There is a pause before the young woman queries, "Is he coming back?"

"Yep, at the end of the week. The ladies gave him a week of vacation and a week of classes as a Christmas gift. Sort of to make up for the fact his previous year sucked. I think they'd adopt him if that copper he lives with hadn't already done so." The waitress comments as she moves on to the next table.

"What makes you think we haven't?" the older woman who bakes asks sassily, hand on hip, eyes full of mischief as she leaves the kitchen. "There is no reason John can't have more than one family. Family's important."

The young woman and waitress both nod in agreement.

"Thanks for the info, I look forward to seeing him in class again and asking him all about his trip to New York," the young woman tells the pair excitedly, "Ta."

"Bye Melody," the older woman replies with an affectionate smile towards the woman leaving. "Go ahead and take your break when you get that table done since it's slow right now Andrea."

"Okay, thank you Misty," the waitress comments merrily before glancing in his direction, "Can I get you anything else before I go no break?"

It takes him a moment to realize she is speaking to him because he is lost in thought, "No thank you."

"Have a nice day," she states before grabbing her wash bucket and leaving the front of the cafe.

Is John the young man he has been trying to see? He wonders, he'll have to come back next week to see. He hopes that John is exactly who he is looking for.

He picks up his small mess and nods towards the older woman behind the counter before leaving.

"John," he murmurs as he strides back towards the academy and the classes he has to finish teaching today.

How to introduce himself without coming off as a stalker? He wonders curiously, he doesn't want to seem like a stalker. He'd like to be a proper suitor. Maybe he should write his parents and ask them for advice? After all, they have already gone through the process from both sides of the equation. He'll do that tonight when he is done for the day.

Maybe he should do some reconnaissance on the younger man? No, that's definitely in the stalker category of behavior. He's not a stalker. Just got to remind himself of that little detail apparently.

Now then, time to work out a plan of wooing, even if the results are just friendship. He could handle that, he's sure. After all, he couldn't have fallen in love with a scent, it doesn't make any sense to fall in love with a scent. But it's definitely a good indicator that he should try and get to know the person that scent belongs to.

Hopefully John, he's pretty sure that's his name, is will see willing to let him.


	11. Going Home

John's POV

Monday sets the pattern for the rest of his time in New York.

The days are spent in class or studying the material that is provided for the classes. He never realized there are so many things that can be done with coffee. All it takes is mixing the right things or cooking them in different styles. There is a wide variety of the different types of coffee, espresso, milks, creams, sugars, chocolates, spices, and flavored liqueurs that can be used.

Then there is the management aspects of the classes. Those are almost mind boggling.

The evenings are spent relaxing or wandering around the city with his brother. At night he falls asleep while talking with Jim, often curled up with the alpha. The only other alpha he has felt as safe with is Greg. They both have a comforting quality that he appreciates even though he doesn't understand them. He really doesn't understand how he can feel so safe with his brother when he has noticed the edge of danger that seems to seep from every pore of his brother's body. Jim often remind him of one of the cats he's seen at the zoo, a quiet predator that is well aware of those around him. Despite that, his instincts swear his brother is safe, a very unusual fact considering most alphas are to be avoid, particularly the dangerous ones.

Classes go both faster than expected and slower. He's thankful that the instructors don't seem to mind speaking with him after each on any questions he has, and clarifying concepts he was having a difficult time with.

His last day in New York is spent in the park looking at all the entertainment and acts there. After that they go to broadway where he gets to watch a play before they go to dinner. It's really rather amazing.

The trip to the airport goes quickly the following morning, Jim stays with him until it's time for boarding and then escorts him to the gate.

"Aren't you coming?" he asks curiously.

"Not just yet, my vacation is nearly done, so I need to get back to doing some work and have a few appointments here," Jim answers calmly. "I wrote my contact information on the inside cover of your journal this morning while you were sleeping. It's not coded like the rest of your journal but I figured you would not appreciate me breaking the code."

Shock and anger are his first reactions because how dare his brother go in his journal but they quickly fade when the alpha remarks that he went no further than the beginning, or at least that Jim didn't break the code. He's pretty sure that his brother could if he wanted to.

"Oh," he mutters.

"Call me if you need anything, otherwise," Jim grins at him, head tipping to the side, "I'll see you when I get back to London."

He nods slowly, glancing over at the entrance to the plane. "Okay," he agrees when he meets his brother's dark eyes, "I've really enjoyed the last two weeks."

"Good," his brother hums, "Go home, get settled, I'll be in touch."

Jim lifts his arm in an invitation for a hug, one which he easily accepts, stepping into the slightly taller man's embrace. Instinctively he runs his nose along the alpha's collar the same way he has done to Greg and the rest of the Lestrades countless times since meeting them. It's only after he realizes what he did.

"Sorry," he mumbles, skin heating up as he blushes.

His brother gives him a peculiar look, almost confused before seeming to understand why he is apologizing. "There is nothing wrong with scenting. It's done to increase bonds and reassure."

He just blinks at the alpha, because that's almost the same thing Greg told him the first time he apologized for scenting the cop.

Ducking his head again, he states, "Bye Jim."

"Until later Johnny-boy," his brother nearly sings.

He heads on the plane so he can go home.

Home. It seems like ages ago since his sire abandoned him in the middle of the city so far from the family home. With Greg feels like home. He knows he is wanted as a family member by the alpha and he's safe. If someone was to try something they would immediately discover why that is a bad idea. However he also felt like he was at home while curled up with his half brother. It's definitely something he needs to think about and try to understand.

The flight home is long, but he spends most of it sleeping.

Almost as soon as he gets off the plane, he spots his roommate waiting for him.

Smiling, he makes his way over to the alpha with an easy loop. "Hi Greg!"

"Hullo John," his friend replies, giving him a quick hug.

"Let's get your stuff," Greg suggests, motioning towards the baggage check for his one suitcase.

Nodding in agreement, they quickly fetch it before heading out to the car.

He's trying to consider how to mention he met his half-brother unexpectedly in New York, but he isn't sure how to bring that up.

Greg beats him to it by asking, "Discover some family member you didn't know?"

Laughing nervously, he nods again, "Yeah, sort of, I vaguely knew I might have another sibling because of rumors, but I'd never met them. Then my half-brother ended up being my alpha escort while I was in New York," he's not lying by saying Jim was his alpha escort.

"That was lucky," his friend remarks with a sideways glance at him.

"I don't think luck had anything to do with it." He states with a snicker.

Thankfully his friend doesn't ask him to clarify that statement as they get into the car.

"Going to keep in touch with him?" Greg queries once they are on the road.

"Hopefully, he gave me his number so I can get a hold of him if I want or if something comes up." He replies as he thinks about that question and the fact Jim gave him several methods of communication. He's also pretty sure that his brother will be keeping in touch.

"That's good," his friend remarks, "You're still part of the Lestrade family though."

Laughing, he grins at the alpha, "That's good. I like being a member of the Lestrades. It's nice having a family that actually wants me around."

"That we do," Greg hums with a smile. "So the parents want you to come over this weekend for a welcome back dinner."

"I'd like that," he agrees his grin turning to a shy smile.

The rest of the ride to the flat is quiet. He spends it thinking about what he learned, both about himself and about coffee over the last week.


	12. Introductions

John's POV

Two weeks after he gets back home, he has settled back into his routine. Working at the cafe and going to school. He gets a letter in the mail from his brother asking him all about how he's doing, what all is going on, and how he is settling on. It has a PO Box return address, and he's pretty sure that is because his brother doesn't like giving out his proper address.

Of course he writes back, deciding to tell his brother about his trip home. Writes about his welcome home dinner with the Lestrades. Talks about how it feels to get back to work and school. How he ends up being the one teaching some of the others at the cafe about the various things he learned regarding coffee. How it feels to be home. What he's working on in class, and the fact he is considering taking some baking and cooking classes as well.

He's the only one in the cafe when the blue eyed alpha that he had served right before Christmas comes walking in with a sure stride, head held high as those sharp eyes scope the room.

Like the last time, almost as soon as the older man gets within easy range of his sense of smell his instincts want him to fold his legs, not that he does. He can still remember his talk with Marge during Christmas about that instinct and why it's a good thing not to give in.

"Welcome to the Sunrise Cafe," he greets the alpha, proud of himself for keeping the tremble out of his voice. "What can I get for you?"

What he really wants to know is why did the alpha happen to come in during one of the rare times he's the only person in the building. Normally there is also a waitress and someone in the back to cook, but as it's close to closing time the cook is gone and the waitress had to leave because of a family emergency. Is it purely chance or something else?

Firm lips tip upwards, "A strong coffee and whatever sandwich is on special right now."

He nods, moving almost on autopilot to do so.

When he is done, he sets it on the counter and rings it up, trying to focus on anything except the fact he is currently alone with an alpha that isn't Greg, Charles, or Jim. It's making him feel a bit antsty.

After he gives the total and the alpha pays, he's startled when the ash blonde decides to introduce himself, "I'm James Sholto."

He's rather grateful that a hand isn't extended because he really doesn't want to touch the alpha right now. His instincts seem to be confused since they are both telling him to bolt right this instance and to stay right where he is. Perfect annoying time for his flight or freeze response to freeze up.

Giving a small shake of his head to clear his mind, he tentatively answers, "John."

"It's a pleasure to meet you John," James declares softly continuing with, "I hope you have a good night."

He stares absently at the alpha as the older man takes his cup and sandwich and leaves without expecting him to respond. He's both relieved and disappointed by that, even though he's not sure why. Did he want the alpha - James - to stay? Why would he want an unknown alpha to stick around? It doesn't make sense. He doesn't like to be around alphas all that much. Too many years of alphas being a threat.

oOo

James' POV

His name is John, he thinks happily as he eats his sandwich on the way back to the academy. The handsome omega he was hoping to meet and exchange names with is names John. He was right when he thought the talk he listened in on was about the sandy blonde.

Originally he was going to eat there, but since they were the only ones in the building, and John seemed to rather nervous, he left with his meal instead. He doesn't want fear to be the omega's lasting memory or impression of him. That's why he tries for calming when he says good night.

Introductions have been made. Even if they were tentative and uncertain, they are still done. That's the first step in any sort of courtship, whether for friends or something else.

Next up is slowly getting to know the younger man, letting the younger man get to know him, and maybe becoming friends. He'd like to be friends. Truthfully he can't see anything else working without them also being friends. The only question is how to become friends when he makes the younger man nervous? He'll have to think that through carefully. He's good at planning, this is probably the perfect example of needing a good plan to work with.

To start with he'll make it a point to go in the cafe and stay only on days there is at least one other person in the building. On days like tonight, he will exit soon after, at least as long as John's scent gives off his nervousness and the fight or flight response the younger man is feeling. He'll have to pay close attention to whether being in his uniform or not has any sort of effect on how John responds to him.

Frowning, he considers the fact he doesn't actually like to talk most the time. Despite his career path, he is an introvert and prefers to just be, rather than having to talk. However he also realizes he will have to talk if he wants anything to come of his attraction. Maybe he can write the omega letters and then hand them over. Would that work? It'd give John a chance to know him without feeling pressure because they are in the same building.

His frown vanishes as he decides that is the best course of action at this time. He can start with something small. Maybe a letter introducing himself, some basic facts, and an invitation for John to ask questions. Definitely needs to include his contact information so the younger man can get a hold of him if John wants to.

That'll be the first thing he does when he gets back to his room.


	13. Letters

James' POV

He was nervous when he handed over the first letter. Mostly because he wasn't sure how John was going to react to an alpha he's only met two times before giving him a letter. He relied on his training to not show exactly how nervous he really is.

When he actually gets a response just a few days later in the mail, he's equally pleased and surprised.

How did John know where to meet it or who to send it to? A closer look at the hand writing on the outside of the envelope reveals it wasn't the omega who sent it as it is different from the hand writing in the letter. Well that's interesting. He finds out with the next response that it's was the younger man's brother who put it in the mail. A fact he finds interesting.

They spend the rest of the year writing to each other. For each of the Pagan holidays after Imbolc John makes him a card. At least he assumes John's the one making them as they are handmade. They are each given to him with the letter closest to the holiday.

He returns the favor by making small sketches for John and hands them over on the holidays as well.

He doesn't actually learn when John's birthday is until afterwards when the younger man writes about how his family decided to celebrate it. Including the fact it's the first time Jim has met the rest of his family. Apparently the John's brothers had a bit of a staring contest that unsettled some of the members of the family.

Since he wants to do something to mark the occasion, he asks his mum if he can copy her recipe book. Of course she wants to know why and is excited when he explains that the young man he is getting to know through letters and would like to eventually court likes cooking, she is all about it. Although she gives him a short list of ones not to copy as they are family secrets and can only be shared if they actually bond. He can agree to that. So he gets all the supplies he will need and then proceeds to make a copy, staying up far later than he probably should be in order to get it done before the next day since he is planning on going to the café.

He's got John's schedule memorized so he can always say hi, even if he doesn't have a letter as he is getting lunch.

Just before Christmas he's paid a visit from a pair of alphas. The first seems to be the standard muscular alpha, the second though, that one is all fine lines and slender danger. And he is a danger. No doubt about it. They're there to give him a rather subtle and direct warning about harming John. To be more exact, if he does, he'll vanish and never be seen again.

He gets the impression that they're not lying.

The smaller one of the pair is rather unsettling, and he's sure he'll never forget him. However he doesn't tell John about it because he doesn't think he needs to. Maybe that's the wrong choice, but it's the one he is going with.

Just a week before they hit a year exchanging letters John asks if he'd like to have lunch sometime.

He's so excited by that simple question that he has to rewrite his response three different times. Of course he'd like to have lunch with the younger man. That's been his hope since he first started this exchange of letters.

Almost as soon as he hands it over he realizes the only problem with having lunch, the fact he is not the best at socializing and prefers to people watch rather than talk. Doesn't matter, he can pull off lunch. Besides, if he can't do lunch how in the hell would he manage an actual courtship? He definitely wants to try that in the future. His instincts insist that John's perfect for him. He doesn't want to risk missing that chance.

The day of their arranged lunch he gets cleaned up far earlier than he has to. Some of the others even tease him about the fact he is acting like it's his first date. He doesn't feel like telling them it effectively is. He wasn't lying when he said he is an introvert who doesn't deal with people all that often.

oOoOoOo

John's POV

Two weeks after he got back from New York he is pleased to see the alpha he had met right before Christmas again. so he's startled when a few days later that same alpha offers him an envelope as he pays for his lunch before practically bolting from the building.

When he discovered that it was an introduction letter, he found himself smiling stupidly.

Apparently the alpha whose scent he finds so appealing wants to get to know him. He's both excited and terrified by that prospect but after a few conversations with Greg, Marge, and Victoria, he decides to write James back.

That's the beginning of a rather marvelous letter exchange that lasts for the entire year.

It's all sorts of fun and he looks forward to each of the letters. He is happy that most the time there isn't time for anything beyond hello and goodbye when James goes through the café. It gives him a chance to get to know the alpha from a distance. Which he is grateful for since most alphas still make him extremely nervous. Although, if being honest, James makes him nervous in a completely different way, a way he's definitely not used to.

In the weeks leading up to him asking James to lunch he tends to greet the alpha as Jamie in the letters instead of James. When that is received well, he decides to actually ask the older man to lunch. Planning on having it at the café where it's more of his territory for all it's public in theory.

He's nervous when he hands over the letter with the invite, and James even asks if everything is alright. A fact he finds sweet, but he is relieved when it suddenly speeds up again and the alpha needs to leave because he's busy because he doesn't know if he's okay.

Marge throws him a bit of a party, his first date, if accepted. She's just proud of him for asking since she knows how nervous most alphas make him. She sees it as an improvement, like he's coming into his own. Hell, he avoids being alone with all alphas except Greg, Jim, and Charles. He's getting better about Sebastian, mostly because of the fact Jim overlays his scent on the older alpha.

Autumn and Misty give him the day off so he doesn't have to worry about trying to do it on his lunch break or between classes since his schedule is still a bit on the packed side. Of course he nervously cleans things since he is there early, though he doesn't know why.

He bursts out laughing when James gets there almost ten minutes early. Apparently neither of them wanted to be late.

* * *

I actually wrote out the letters, if anyone is interested in them, I will post them.


	14. First Lunch

James' POV

He tries not to check his watch as he walks into the café and spots John already inside. He left early. It wasn't a long walk or all that busy. He's not late. Is he? That would make a bad first impression date wise.

Laughing, John comments, "So I wasn't the only one who decided to show up early."

Relieved, he nods, trying for a warm smile when he is feeling so uncertain right now, "You're not. Hello John."

"Hi James," the younger man replies, skin turning a lovely shade of pick that makes a small scattering of freckles stand out on the bridge of his nose.

"Sit down you two," an older woman, probably Misty as he's met Autumn and this lady looks similar, suggest. A moment later she changes the suggestion, "Better yet, use the staff area."

The look of hesitation on John's face has him commenting, "Whichever you're more comfortable with."

"Thanks Misty," the younger man remarks, motioning to one of the side doors, "It's right through there."

He nods, following but trying not to crowd John's space as the short blonde crosses the space quickly and enters a side room that is rather cozy and compact with a small love seat, table with three chairs, small fridge, counter and sink.

John takes the door that will easily let him see the through the door while he takes the seat across from the younger man.

A minute later one of the young betas that works here slips in with a menu for him, grinning merrily at John and asking, "Your normal tea?"

"Yeah, please," the omega replies with a nod.

"For you to drink?" she asks, turning to him.

"Coffee please," he answers before opening the menu to look at what's on it. Normally he gets the same sandwich every time, but this feels like it should be something different. Closing it when he can't make up his mind, he queries, "Any suggestions?"

"Misty's salads are really good. I'm getting one of the chicken and fruit ones." John answers with only a little hesitation. He's going to hope that hesitation is more because he's an alpha than because John has just decided this is a bad idea.

Nodding, he comments, "I think I will try one." A quick glance at the back of the menu shows the list of salads. While the chicken and fruit one doesn't sound appealing to him. The chicken bacon one does.

The young woman brings their drinks in and pulls out her order pad to write down their orders, "What can I get ya?"

"The chicken fruit salad," John tells her with a grin.

"Got it," she declares, turning to him she asks, "And for you John's pen pal?"

"James," he replies, "The chicken bacon salad please."

"Got it!" She's off a moment later, grinning widely.

They sit in silence for a few minutes, the only noise the soft sounds of the café on the other side of the wall.

He should probably say something, anything, rather than just sitting there quietly.

"Thank you for inviting me," he blurts out, feeling his ears heat up in embarrassment for just blurting like that.

John's smile is soft, almost open, "Thank you for that first introduction letter."

He nods, pleased and trying not to puff up his chest.

No pushing up, he reminds himself, better not to act all alpha-y. Is that even a word? Doesn't matter. It's still a good idea not to act like that. They sit there in silence again, making him nervous even though he's not actually one for talking most the time but he feels like he should be talking. At least some. What to talk about?

"How have your studies been?" he asks, deciding to go with something they have discussed in the letters often.

That seems to catch John off guard for a moment but it quickly passes as the omega answers, "Good, I am just about done actually. Considering uni options. I sort of want to go to culinary school. I also want to become a doctor."

He nods, asking, "Do you favor one over the other?"

John almost hesitates before answering, "I've wanted to be a doctor for years. I gave up on that when I was told I'd never go into the army because of an irregular heartbeat."

"What got you considering it again?" he queries, tipping his head slightly as he tries to remember if they discussed it.

"Jim." The younger man answers, pausing as the waitress brings them their lunch, "Thanks."

"Notta problem, I'll be back to check on you in a bit," she's gone with a quick smile.

"My brother told me in no-uncertain terms, that if I want to be a doctor, he'll pay for the parts that need paid for, I'm not to worry about money, and not to settle for being a cook because that's all I can afford." John's skin turns light pink, "It was our first argument. 'Cause I don't want charity."

"From everything you've said about your brother, I don't think he knows how to be charitable," he replies, thinking that if he's right and that nerve wracking alpha that visited him last month is Jim, then he definitely doesn't know how to be charitable.

There is quiet for a few minutes while the younger man seems to think about it while they eat their meal. "That's true. I don't think Jim does anything just to be nice. Even when he's trying to be nice."

Silence falls between them again. Thankfully it doesn't seem as awkward this time because they are eating and it's perfectly natural to be quiet while eating. Though this is sort of a date so he should probably try finding something else for them to discuss.

"How do you like your new batch of recruits?" John queries after a bit.

"Most of them are decent enough, but I have a few that concern me." He answers after giving that question some thought.

The younger man nods in understanding, "Are they concerning because they aren't picking up the material or because they have a hard time controlling the aggression?"

"Both," that one doesn't require in thought. "Most the time they get so aggressive that it's like they can't pick up the material even though they are actually capable of doing so."

John's head tips to the side, eyes widening slightly as if considering if he knows anyone like that before slowly nodding. "I sort of get that. Most the time though, the people in the classes I take are on the other end of that, so submissive, shy, or scared that they have a hard time picking things up even though they have the ability to do so.

It's his turn to consider that before nodding in agreement, biting back a sigh that anyone would do that to their family. He doesn't understand how anyone can justify treating the families omegas like shit.

Not thinking about that right now, he reminds himself firmly. This is going to be a good visit. He wants John to want to do it again.

"I'd suggest matching them up, but that might make more problems than not at this stage," he remarks, trying for playful and not sure he is pulling it off. He's always been too serious and he worries that will be something that bores the younger man.

After a long pause in which he starts to think he said the wrong thing, John starts laughing softly, "Yeah, that'd be, um, not a wise choice at this time."

Their waitress pops her head in the door, drawing their attention as she queries, "Need any refills or more food?"

"Tea, please," John answers with a grin.

He glances at his coffee cup, quickly deciding how much caffeine he really wants, "Another coffee please," he answers.

"Got it, be back shortly!" she tells them with a quick sharp nod, vanishing back through the door.

"She's excitable," he comments, smiling at her enthusiasm.

"Yeah, she likes the freedom having a stable income gives her." John replies smiling fondly.

Just to get a read on how horrible or well he is doing, he takes a deep breath, catching John's almost hidden omega scent, the beta wash, the excitement and worry, and the hopefulness that seems fill the air between them.

He's apparently doing better than expected or John's really good at hiding his emotions. He'll go with the better outlook until given a reason not to.

A moment later, she's back with fresh drinks, setting them down as she asks, "Desserts?"

"No thank you," he answers, before realizing maybe John would like one, "Would you like something?"

The younger man shakes his head, "No, um, no thanks."

"Are you sure?" He queries, explaining softly, "You can have dessert if you want, I rarely eat sugary or sweet things."

"Yeah, I'm good." John answers, scent changing though he can't say exactly what it is.

They finish their meals and their drinks, asking questions and answering. Only John seems to be getting distracted.

"I umm, need to be going, it's been nice having lunch, we umm, should ah, do this again." the younger man states almost hesitantly.

He nods in agreement, rising from his seat, "I agree."

"Bye Jamie," John tells him before darting out of the room and into the back of the café through the kitchen.

It leaves him wondering if he did something wrong.


	15. Thoughts and Concerns

John's POV

He's enjoying his lunch with James when sudden pressure seems to grip his stomach. Oh fuck, his heat. How could he forget that his heat was coming up? He needs to get out of here quickly.

As soon as he's sure he can leave without making James think he doesn't like him, he mumbles, "I umm, need to be going, it's been nice having lunch, we umm, should ah, do this again," as he stands up and tries for a warm smile.

James' eyes narrow thoughtfully, brow furrowing in concern, "I agree."

Relief flashes through his system as he states, "Bye Jamie," before darting out of the room and into the back of the café through the kitchen.

Misty just about jumps out of her skin when he races into the kitchen, hiding by the pantry and breathing hard.

"Are you alright?" she asks worriedly.

"Please call Greg and tell him my heat has decided to start late," he requests as he sinks against the wall.

"Of course," she agrees, picking the phone off the counter and quickly dialing up the alpha that act as a brother and friend, and during his heats, helpful assistant.

He doesn't pay attention as he squeezes his eyes shut, trying to calm down because he knows panicking would be bad. What if James caught his scent and realized what was happening and sees this as a rejection? He's not trying to reject the alpha, he just doesn't know him well enough to trust him with his heat. Ironic considering he knew Greg even less time before sharing his heat. But his instincts instantly trusted Greg since he knew that the copper wouldn't take advantage. His instincts haven't said the same about James, which makes him wary, like he is with most alphas.

"He'll be here shortly," she tells him, drawing his attention by touching his arm lightly.

"Thanks," he mumbles, sinking down the wall.

Why did his heat have to be a week late? He would have been happy not having his heat until six months from now. He's so embarrassed that he bolt the way he did. How is he going to explain this to James? Should he write a letter or try explaining in person? He'll worry about it after his heat is done and over.

Closing his eyes once more, he just breathes. He can deal with this. It's a normal part of his life. Just because this is the first time his heat didn't come when expected doesn't mean anything. He's still growing, and his body isn't done developing. There will be glitches. The glitches are perfectly natural.

A familiar scent draws him out of his mind, "Come on John, let's get home."

He accepts the hand offered, and gets to his feet with little problem.

The next week is spent with Greg. Thankfully, after nearly two years living together and sharing his heats, they have this down to an art. By the end of it, he is sure he is the luckiest non-bonded omega.

The day after his heat ends he wakes up and stretches, happy to be alone in his own bed and for it to be over. Of course now he has to figure out what to do about James. At this point he really doesn't know. Maybe he should talk to Greg or Marge about it? Possibly Charles, but he isn't as close to Charles as he is the other two.

Either way, he needs to figure it out before he causes himself a panic attack. He seriously hates panic attacks.

When he leaves his bedroom, he stops dead in his tracks because Marge is sitting at the counter drinking tea as if she is always there early in the morning to drink tea.

"I told Greg to head to work," she greets him, "Good morning John, breakfast is in the microwave."

He just nods, walking over and getting it out to eat.

"Greg called me last night while you were in the shower a bit worried," she tells him as she finishes the tea and sets the cup down. "Something about your heat hit during the first date with your possible suitor, he's worried about how that might come off. For you and your suitor. Or something to that effect. He wasn't very clear."

Plopping down on the sofa, he mumbles, "I almost had a panic attack."

She nods as she stands up and moves to settle beside him.

Several minutes pass in silence while he eats. "What if James thinks I am rejecting him?"

"Then he's not worth your time." She replies promptly, her voice is sincere.

He snorts, ducking his head.

He's happy that he's okay with silence and that she's not the sort to pressure him on a topic. Actually, Greg's the exact same way. Both let him think through things before trying to discuss it with him. That's appreciated since it lets him actually process.

"I want him to be worth my time," he mutters.

"Oh John," she murmurs, wrapping an arm around him and giving him a hug, "It doesn't always work out that way."

He nods, snuggling into her side, thinking about it more.

He's not sure how long they sit there before he finally says something. "I don't know how to talk to him about it," he tells her.

"Write him a letter." She suggests, nosing very softly at his temple. "You've been communicating very well through letters, from what you've said."

"Yeah, but it's, ummm, yeah," he mumbles. "Letters are good."

"Yes they are," she hums in agreement.

"Thanks," he tells her, a bit clearer.

"You're welcome love," she replies, "now then, I have your assignments from, this last week, and the ladies at the café hope you have a good day of rest."

He blushes and smiles. He really does love his new family and how accepting they are. It's still remarkable, even after two years that he now has a home and people who actually want him around. Sometimes he's sure what should have been the worst situation of his life, turned into the best.


	16. Second Date

John's POV

He wrote that letter before bed and had a chance to pass it to James three days letter. Four days later James responds, asking him to dinner on February twenty-first. That makes him curious what the twenty-first is, but he's not sure he wants to ask. They spend the time between writing letters again, and things seem fairly decent.

Originally he thinks they'll have to have a late dinner, but when he tells Autumn and Misty he needs to get off as soon as the shop closes because he's having dinner with James, they give him the night off.

He was almost hesitant about giving James Greg's address, even though that's where he lives.

Jim, of course had offered to have James pick up there or drop him off where James wants to have dinner. As that seems scarier than the alpha knowing his address, he gives his date his home address instead. He doesn't ask how his brother knows about his dilemma. He figures it's just one of those Jim things.

So now it's the twenty-first and he is ready to go to dinner with an alpha that is courting him, or is considering courting him, and he doesn't know what he thinks of that. He's equally excited and terrified.

"Breath John, nice even breaths," Greg suggests helpfully, pitching his voice to be soothing.

He jumps when he hears the door open, spinning around with wide eyes to find himself face to face with his brother.

"Jim?" he's embarrassed by how high pitched his voice comes out.

"Johnny-boy, relax," his half-brother suggests with the hints of a smile. "I figured it was time to meet your other brother, offer moral support, smile creepily at your date."

He slaps a hand across his face then winces as he accidently pokes himself in the eye. Why today of all days did Jim decide he wants to meet Greg? He's pretty sure his half-brother has the creepy expressions down to an art. They're both alphas, what if-

He finds himself pulled into slender arms, and a familiar scent surrounding him, drawing him out of his mind and into the present.

"Better?" Jim murmurs against his ear.

"Yeah," he answers, feeling his skin heat up.

"Good." The alpha smirks at him, "Now to answer your question, because I can."

"How'd you get past the lock?" Greg asks, drawing his attention and making him snicker.

"I'm really good at locks," Jim sasses, turning to face the other alpha with an ease that'd surprise him if he hadn't seen his brother force an alpha to his knees six months after meeting him. "Jim, John's half brother, we've managed to miss each other up to this point."

"That was intentional," he mutters ducking his head and throwing himself on the sofa.

"He's mentioned you, though John's never been sure exactly what to say about you." Greg replies, arching a dark brow in question.

"Yes, well, my job is somewhat," there is a brief pause, "indescribable."

A sharp knock at the door, has him jumping to his feet. "I'll get that!" he exclaims, not sure he really wants James meeting his brothers. That seems like too many alphas in one room.

He catches the shared glance and smirk between his brothers.

Crossing the room, he opens the door, both relieved and nervous when he spots James standing on the other side holding a book.

"Good evening," his date greets him softly, offering him the book. "Tradition is flowers but I thought you'd appreciate a book more."

"I do, thank you," he answers, feeling his skin heat up, "Come in, I'll go put this in my room."

That's a terrifying concept, James being alone in a room with Jim and Greg, but he's pretty sure Marge would tell him that James isn't worth his time if the alpha can't deal with his alpha siblings.

"James, my brothers Jim and Greg," he does a quick introduction before bolting to his room and putting the book up and quickly moving back to the living room. He's almost surprised that the three seem to be relaxed.

"Ready?" James asks politely.

He nods, still feeling nervous.

"Have fun," Greg tells him, giving him a quick hug, nose brushing against the side of his jaw familiarly.

He gives the older man a quick nudge with his nose in return.

"I'd say don't do anything I wouldn't do, but we both know you have far more boundaries than I do." His half-brother states, lips quirking upwards again, dark eyes warm and affectionate.

He snickers, stepping closer to Jim but not sure if he should scent his brother or not since he mostly does it when upset.

Jim closes the space between them, head dipping slightly to murmur, "You need anything, and I mean anything, call."

"Thanks," he whispers, having a sneaking suspicion his brother doesn't just mean call on a phone.

Turning, he walks towards the door and where James is patiently waiting, watching with curious gray eyes but not saying anything.

"Ready?" he queries.

"Yes," his date agrees.

With that, they leave, heading to James car and he feels a moment of panic as they slip in before it fades away. He feels safe, even if he couldn't definite why he feels that way.

He doesn't even know where they heading because he is having a hard time focusing.

"John?" there is concern in James voice.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sorry," he responds, skin heating up in embarrassment.

"We don't have to do this," the alpha offers.

He swallows, "But I want to."

"Okay," there is relief in James voice.

"Sorry," he mumbles, skin getting hotter.

His date nods, pulling off the side to the road and into a parking garage. "We're here."

They get out of the car and the alpha walks around to his side, shutting the door after he's out of the car. Quietly they walk up to the restaurant.

He's confused when James stops, turning to him, gray eyes searching his face.

"You don't need to apologize to me for feeling uncomfortable." The older man informs him seriously. "If I ever make you uncomfortable, tell me, I will try to fix it immediately."

"Oh, umm, thanks," he replies, eyes widening in shock.

"I'm serious," James states almost urgently, "I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

He just nods.

"Dinner?" The alpha queries, opening the door for them to go in.

"Yeah, please," he agrees, smiling warmly at the older man.

They head inside, and he glances about, quite sure he's not heard of this place. It smells wonderful in here. A hostess shows them to their table after James checks them in. He doesn't pay attention however. Instead he sniffs the air and takes in all the scents, carefully separating them in his mind to figure out what they are.

He should probably try talking, but James seems okay with not talking, as long as he's not filling the air with his scent of distress. Any form of distress seems to get a quick reaction. Mostly one designed to sooth and comfort.

"Mum suggested I reiterate that I understand your preference for a known and safe alpha," James states softly after a waitress gets their order for drinks.

He freezes, waiting for where this is going to go wrong.

"It's the right thing to do," James continues, voice still soft. "I'd be an idiot to be upset that you picked a safe choice over me for your heat as we don't know each other in person all that well. I just," there is a pause, and he watches in fascination as the alpha's skin starts turning splotchy. "I just want you to know that."

He nods slowly. "Okay."

Relief seems to pour off the older man as James smiles at him warmly.

"So, uh, did you pick this place for a reason or?" his voice trails off because he's not actually sure what he's asking.

Snickering, the alpha shakes his head, "Yes and no, I've had a lot of soldiers suggest it to me."

"Ah," he hums, head tipping back for a moment as he takes in the scents again. "It smells great."

"It does," James agrees, gray eyes watching him.

"Here's your drinks," the waitress tells them as she sets them down, "Are you ready to order or need a few?"

Looking at her, he asks, "What am I smelling with cinnamon, sugar, pepper, butter and orange?"

She grins at him, "Today's special is a fruit pie with chicken cooked into it. I think its orange, lemon, strawberries, pineapple, and cherries. I don't know all the spices in it."

"I'll try that please," he states, grinning at her.

She jots it down before turning to James, "For you sir?"

He thinks about it for a long moment before answering, "I'll try the special as well."

"Perfect, those will be done in about half an hour," she tells him, "Okay?"

"Yeah," he agrees, with a small nod, he gets how it can be in the kitchen. He works in the kitchen at the café as often as he works in the front.

"Of course," James concurs with an easy smile.

She grins at them, "Thanks!" A moment later she is being called away by another customer.

"Did today have special mean or just the first day you had free?" he asks curiously since it is something he's been wondering about.

"It's my birthday," James answers, shrugging his left shoulder as if to say it's not important.

"Oh," he mumbles, he hadn't known when the alpha's birthday was. He possibly should have asked before now. "Happy birthday," he declares, smiling widely, "Thanks for sharing it with me."

Blinking at him in confusion, the older man nods slowly, "Uh, thank you, you're welcome?"

They spend several minutes sitting in quiet before decides to start asking about any traditions James' family might have towards birthdays and the alpha's opinion on them. From there the conversation seems to easily flow, bouncing from topic to topic with easy silences while one of them thinks about what they want to say. Dinner ends up being amazing, and he is definitely happy that he decided to ask what that was because it just smelled good.

Afterwards they go for a small walk before heading back to the car and James takes him home. The ride isn't nearly as awkward and he gets sort of a hesitant hug, nose just barely touching his temple as the alpha bids him good night.

Stepping inside, he finds both of his brothers there, and just starts laughing softly, because for all Jim's trying to look innocent, he's quite sure he is getting studied in that people reading manner his brother uses for the hell of it.

"It was a good night," he tells them with a smile, "I'm taking a shower and going to bed."

"I'm happy it was good for you," Greg tells him sincerely, "Night John."

"Good." Jim states softly, a touch of menace in his half-brother's voice, "It should always be good. Sleep well Johnny-boy."

He shakes his head, snickering as he heads to his room to get his night clothes. '

* * *

That's the end of this story, but it is not the end of the verse, there are still several more for me to write up sometime in the future, and post as the muse works with me. I look forward to any thoughts or comments you lovely readers chose to share.


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